Neville Dilkes Conducts English Music, Vol. 3

In 1971-72, EMI had Neville Dilkes and his English Sinfonia record two volumes of mostly short English works, which recently appeared here. For their third LP, Dilkes and ensemble made the first stereo recording of E.J. Moeran's impressive Symphony in G minor. (The very first recording of the symphony, dating from 1942, is included at the end of this post.)

The symphony was not Dilkes' first Moeran recording. The composer's Two Pieces for Small Orchestra were featured in the 1972 set. The symphony, which dates from the 1930s, is a much more ambitious work.

E.J. Moeran

The contemporary reviews stressed the composer's influences, principally Walton and Sibelius. But the symphony holds its own quite well and is a substantial achievement.

Edward Greenfield's review in The Gramophone (included in the download) is an example of such criticism. He does, however, add this disclaimer: "I have indicated, maybe with too great an emphasis, some of the obvious influences, not with the thought of disparaging the music but of leading new listeners to a gloriously rich experience. Paradoxically in this work with its obvious eclecticism Moeran seems to be more fully himself than anywhere else. Beautiful as much of Moeran's other music is, I do not detect the same life-thrust."

Neville Dilkes

Greenfield was enthusiastic about the recording itself: "This performance by Neville Dilkes and the English Sinfonia sets the seal on the two previous records of British music which they have made for EMI. The violin tone may not be quite so resonant as with some metropolitan orchestras, but against a richly recorded texture one quickly adjusts to it. The brass and woodwind are superb, enunciating Moeran's sharp rhythms with the finest precision. Dilkes shows himself an expressive conductor, treating Moeran as one would expect Sir John Barbirolli to have done, and the whole orchestra, not least the string section, responds wholeheartedly."

The Hallé/Leslie Heward Recording

Leslie Heward

It is idle to speculate about what Barbirolli's recording might have been like, considering he never made one. The only previous release of the symphony was in 1942 by the Hallé Orchestra under Leslie Heward, a fine conductor who died young. The critical response to the Heward disc was just as enthusiastic as the reaction to Dilkes' performance. From an unsigned review, possibly by Compton MacKenzie, in The Gramophone: "[H]ere is a work strong in tensions, with lyrical episodes, most imaginatively scored; informal drama, tragic rather than humanely-comedic (though not for long doom-darkened): a work to spend a lot of time on." Not entirely sure what all that means, but perhaps you get a general idea. It's an impressive performance that does full justice to the work. The sound is good.

LINK to the English Sinfonia/Dilkes recording

LINK to the Halle Orchestra/Heward recording

Neville Dilkes Conducts English Music, Vol. 2

Neville Dilkes' first LP of English music was popular around these parts, so here is the second volume. It was released in early 1972, so it was probably recorded in 1971 - possibly at the same sessions that produced the earlier album.

For this set, the conductor again chose 20th century composers, all of whom were inspired by early music or folk song. George Butterworth returns, joined by Walter Leigh, Peter Warlock, John Ireland and E.J. Moeran.

Neville Dilkes

As with the previous record, the critics were pleased. Here is Edward Greenfield in The Gramophone: "An enchanting collection, every item of which I warmly commend to lovers of English music ... If anything the playing on this second disc from the English Sinfonia is even better than on the first with warm, firm string tone. The recording is vivid and involving in the same way as before, though not surprisingly the harpsichord is balanced very far forward in the Concertino ..."

Walter Leigh

The LP begins with perhaps the least familiar music of all the pieces recorded - the Harpsichord Concertino by Walter Leigh, a highly skilled composer killed in the Second World War at age 36. The work is an utter delight, blending neo-classicism with a pastoral influence in the gorgeous Andante. Pace Mr. Greenfield, but I do not think Dilkes' fluent harpsichord playing is too loud, nor do I agree that the Andante is taken too slowly.

The Holy Boy, a carol, is perhaps the best known work by John Ireland (1879-1962). Originally for piano, it exists in 16 different arrangements by the composer and others Here it is found in the 1941 version for string orchestra.

George Butterworth

Butterworth is represented by his two English Idylls. As Greenfield wrote, they "are less elaborate than the more famous tone poems which Dilkes included on his earlier disc of English music but they reflect a completely uninhibited approach to folk-song, a simple joy in morning - fresh melodies played as often as not on the orchestra's nearest relation to a pastoral reed-pipe, the oboe."

Peter Warlock

From another short-lived composer, Peter Warlock (Philip Heseltine), who lived from 1894-1930, we have his sparkling Capriol Suite of dances, inspired by Renaissance music. This captivating music is perhaps his most popular work, although his best is probably the haunting song cycle The Curlew on Yeats poems. It has appeared here in the recording by Alexander Young and instrumentalists, which is newly remastered. Constant Lambert's recording of the Capriol Suite can be found here.

John Ireland and E.J. Moeran

E.J. Moeran (1894-1950) was a friend of both John Ireland and Peter Warlock. On this LP, we have his Two Pieces for Small Orchestra. The first, Lonely Waters, elaborates on a Norfolk folk song. Its companion, Whythorne's Shadow, takes inspiration from a work by the Elizabethan composer Thomas Whythorne. In both cases, the source works are transformed greatly by Moeran's artistry.

This is another well-recorded and absorbing release from the English Sinfonia and Dilkes. Next in this series is their recording of Moeran's Symphony in G minor.

LINK

Music from Ireland

For this post I am combining a few records to provide a by-no-means comprehensive overview of 20th century music in Ireland. First we have two transcription discs published by the Marshall Plan administration at about mid-century. Then a Decca LP of "New Music from Old Erin" from about 1958, augmented by a recent concert recording of an Ina Boyle overture.

Orchestras of the World - Ireland

Orchestras of the World label and Marshall Plan poster

The French conductor Jean Martinon (1910-76) was known for his performances of French, Russian and German composers, but in this unusual set we have him in circa 1950 recordings of music from Ireland.

The performances, with the then-new Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra, were issued on transcription discs by the Economic Cooperation Administration. The ECA was a US government agency that administered the Marshall Plan, which provided postwar aid to Western Europe. The agency produced an "Orchestras of the World" series that encompassed radio recordings from Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

Jean Martinon

On the Radio Éireann set, the composers represented are Hamilton Harty, Charles Stanford, E.J. Moeran, Redmond Friel and J.F. Larchet. A conservative selection to be sure, and one that includes an Englishman (Moeran, who was of part-Irish descent and did live and work at times in Ireland). As far as I can tell, only the Harty work had been recorded before this set was issued.

Charles Stanford

The program begins with the Overture to Shamus O'Brien, an 1895 composition by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), a prolific composer and important teacher in England. It's a tuneful piece that gets the program off to a good start.

Redmond Friel

Next is Two Linked Melodies from Donegal by Redmond Friel (1907-79), a prolific arranger of traditional melodies. It's also enjoyable, but the Radio Éireann orchestra does seem a bit unsure of itself here. In 1950, it had only been in existence for a few years and did not have a music director, although Martinon and Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt worked with it regularly.

J.F. Larchet

John Francis Larchet (1884-1967) was the music director of the Abbey Theater from 1908-35, where he was responsible for the stage music for important plays by Yeats and others. He also taught such composers as Elizabeth Maconchy, Brian Boydell, Havelock Nelson, Seóirse Bodley and Frederick May. (See below for music by Boydell, Bodley and May.) Larchet primarily composed short works and arranged traditional tunes. His composition The Tinker's Wedding is a colorful piece sketching a social event among the itinerant people of Ireland.

E.J. Moeran

The two most substantial works on the program are next. First is the 1948 Serenade in G major by E.J. Moeran (1894-1950). This is one of Moeran's best works, a gorgeous reworking of circa 17th century dance forms. Martinon programmed the six-movement version of the work; it is what was to be published in 1952, after the composer's death. Moeran's original has eight movements. That version was recorded much later.

Sir Hamilton Harty

The symphonic poem With the Wild Geese by Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1941) dates from 1910. The "Wild Geese" were Irishmen who were recruited to serve in continental armies in the 16th-18th centuries. Harty's lively programmatic composition includes such movements as "Soldiers' Life Abroad," "Night Before the Battle," "Battle" and "Return Home." The composer also achieved fame as a conductor, principally of the Hallé Orchestra.

The transcription discs also include a five-minute talk on "Life in Ireland Today" by former foreign correspondent Frank Gervasi, who was then working for the Marshall Plan.

I transferred this program from a set of the 16-inch transcription discs. The original sound is adequate broadcast quality for the time. There is some occasional mild rustle caused by a bit of warping, to which the large vinyl pressings were prone.

New Music from Old Erin, Vol. 1

I first shared this circa 1958 disc about a decade ago, but wanted to add a new version to this post because it complements the previous set by presenting compositions by three younger composers. It also features the Radio Éireann Symphony.

Milan Horvat

In this program the orchestra is led by Milan Horvat (1919-2014), its music director from 1953-58. He was later the chief conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic in his native Croatia.

Brian Boydell

The Megalithic Ritual Dances by Brian Boydell (1917-2000) were inspired by pre-Christian rituals, although they follow no specific program. The work was written for the Radio Éireann Symphony. The composer was a professor at Trinity College in Dublin for many years.

Seóirse Bodley

The next composition, Music for Strings by Seóirse Bodley (1933-2023) was given its first performance by the Dublin Orchestral Players under Brian Boydell in 1952, when the composer was just 19. Bodley was to become one of the most significant Irish composers, and was also active as a teacher and conductor. This early work was influenced by Hindemith. Bodley later adopted different compositional methods.

Possibly E.J. Moeran, Frederick May, possibly pianist Tilly Fleischmann, Ina Boyle (1938)

Frederick May (1911-85) was hindered by health issues throughout his life, including increasing deafness. Almost all of his works were composed by 1942, including the Suite of Irish Airs, from 1937. Like his teacher J.F. Larchet, he spent a period as music director of the Abbey Theater.

I have remastered the recording in ambient stereo for this post. The sound is very good. These are all first recordings, as far as I know.

The Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra later became the RTÉ (Raidió Teilifís Éireann) Symphony Orchestra and then the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. It is now the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.

Ina Boyle

Finally, as a bonus to New Music from Old Erin, I have added the 1934 Overture by Ina Boyle (1889-1967), a fine if conservative composer whose music has achieved some currency in recent years. This concert performance from 2018 is by the Ulster Orchestra under Maxim Emelyanychev. Thanks to the original poster for the source file.

LINK to Orchestras of the World - Ireland

LINK to New Music from Old Erin