Neville Dilkes Conducts English Music, Vol. 1

The conductor Neville Dilkes, who died recently aged 94, did not make many records, but the ones he did fashion are widely admired both for their performances and their sound.

This is his first record, dating from 1971, where he led his own group the English Sinfonia in 20th century music by George Butterworth, Hamilton Harty, Frank Bridge and Arnold Bax.

Neville Dilkes

Dilkes formed the English Sinfonia as the Midlands Sinfonia in 1961, eventually locating it in Nottingham, although the ensemble played throughout the Midlands. The Sinfonia is still is existence, although it now performs in Chesham, near London. The Sinfonia's website does not mention Dilkes or his passing, as far as I can tell.

The Gramophone's critic Edward Greenfield was pleased by the LP: "The performances are immensely enjoyable, bound as they are by the obvious warmth and enthusiasm of the players, and presented with rich and immediate sound." He does, however, complain about the string tone, which is, as he mentions, is not always ideally sweet and precise.

Hamilton Harty

The first side of the LP contains lighter music, starting with composer-conductor Hamilton Harty's seldom-recorded John Field Suite of 1939, a tribute to the Irish composer who lived from 1782-1837. The work begins with an bouncy polka, moderating to a lovely nocturne and waltz, followed by a lively rondo.

Arnold Bax

The first side is completed by what might be Arnold Bax's cheeriest work, the Dance in the Sunlight, one of his Four Orchestral Pieces of 1912-13.

George Butterworth

The second side begins with the two best known works by George Butterworth, who died in the First World War - the orchestral rhapsody A Shropshire Lad of 1911 and the idyll The Banks of Green Willow of 1913. The latter in particular is now well-known. Both of Butterworth's pieces make skillful use of folk song, with A Shropshire Lad also being inspired by A.E. Housman's poetry.

Greenfield's view: "Neville Dilkes's interpretations are urgent, even thrustful, and though no doubt some Butterworth devotees will prefer something more contemplative, I must say that this approach quickly had me sympathising."

Frank Bridge

Frank Bridge has the indignity of being best known as Benjamin Britten's teacher, but he was a composer of atmospheric, evocative works such as There is a Willow grows aslant a Brook, prompted by Queen Gertrude's description in Hamlet of the death of Ophelia. This work contests with The Banks of Green Willow for the finest music on the LP. It is haunting.

"Bridge's There is a Willow grows aslant a Brook is the subtlest and most difficult of the pieces here," wrote Greenfield, "and it receives the finest performance, a formidable challenge well taken."

As usual with these posts, the download includes the review quoted above; also, an article on Dilkes from the same magazine and year. A second post will include Dilkes conducting more music by Butterworth along with compositions by Walter Leigh, Peter Warlock, John Ireland and E.J. Moeran.

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