Naxos Alert: Bax Music for Piano and Orchestra

Keep an eye on new releases from Naxos.  Every month they are pouring out more new releases than any other classical label, of greater variety than anybody else and -- most of the time -- of superb quality.  To top it off, at a time when the once-great major labels have fallen mainly to recycling old material or recording a handful of celebrity artists in either mainstream repertory or "crossover" material, Naxos continues its bold exploration of the ignored byways of the classical repertory.  The one draw-back is that occasionally their eagerness to record just about everything they can get their hands on with affordable musicians can lead to performances that are tentative and less than immaculate, because they are not the result of extensive experience with the repertory and extended rehearsal.   Just the same, however, they frequently make available music that would be otherwise hard to find, at bargain prices.

A prime example of the merits of the label is the recent release of two major works for piano and orchestra by Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953), a British composer of the pastoral inclination.  His large-scale Symphonic Variations of 1916-18 and smaller-scale Concertante for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra of 1949 make excellent disc-mates, and Ashley Wass, James Judd and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra have produced gorgeous performances that do full justice to the colorful, rhapsodic nature of the music.  The phrase that always comes to my mind when I'm listening to Bax is "gorgeous wash of sound."  The sound of a Bax orchestra in full cry is totally distinctive once experienced, and totally thrilling for the sheer depth of beauty.  I wouldn't say that he wrote the most memorable tunes, and if there is structural rigor, I don't hear it, but for sheer sensuous pleasure there are few composer who come close.

Naxos has produced a fine-sounding recording at the Concert Hall Lighthouse in Poole, UK, in May 2008, and provides the usual detailed and informative program notes.  The entire production is first-rate and worth acquiring, especially at the bargain price.

Comments

[Barbara]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Barbara

http://keyboardpiano.net

[Art Leonard]

Thanks for your comment. I'm always delighted to have more readers.