Martin Owen horn
BBC Philharmonic
Rumon Gamba conductor
CHANDOS CHAN 20284
Chandos continue with their support and promotion of this quite unjustifiably neglected composer, with only the last, and fifth, of her symphonies now needing recording. Having enjoyed the previous issues, for my taste at least, it is the earlier works which leave the strongest impression.
The first symphony of 1942 dates from her very early twenties and is truly remarkable in its strength of idiom and mastery of the orchestra. In fact, one can make a comparison with her other, equally ignored contemporary, George Lloyd, and I suggest that this work is superior to any of the latter’s up to his no 4 where he suddenly discovered his true form.
Being a wartime work there are subtle echoes of the mood of the time especially in the final movement which, taking a nod from her teacher VW, ends quietly but not, in this case, repose. Earlier, there are affecting hints of yearning in the harmonies, but then the very striking scherzo ‘whistles and smiles under all difficulties’.
The other major work included on the disc is the Horn Concerto of 1968, written for her son, Lance, to play. Here the soloist is the excellent Martin Owen who despatches what sounds like pretty difficult stuff with aplomb. My reaction to the music is that it holds the attention without leaving a strong memory trace.
Of the other works on the disc, Coronation Procession op.41 (1953) is a noisy impression rather than a the perhaps expected march. In his customary excellent notes Lewis Foreman says that Prince Philip was reported to have been present at a rehearsal. He then comments ‘We leave it to readers to imagine what he might have said’.
Cringlemire Garden op.39 (1952) is a pastoral miniature for string orchestra, an evocation of a garden and arboreal museum near Windermere. Finally, we have Ambarvalia op.70 (1988) which is a memorial tribute to the composer Adrian Cruft. The title refers to a Roman agricultural fertility rite which took place at the end of May. It is a very attractive gentle 12/8 dance in an easy-going idiom.
Wikipedia reports that ‘after her early success with Knight in Armour in 1942, her music was not featured again in the Proms nor broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in her lifetime’.
Let us hope we now live in more enlightened times.
Review by Geoffrey Atkinson