Bristow orchestral music coming from New World Records

[edurban]

I don't know the works involved, but Rebecca Miller will conduct the Royal Northern Sinfonia.  Ms Miller has been very active in the studios recently: discs with Beach, Hopekirk, Hadley and now Bristow, bless 'er.

David

[Mark Thomas]

That's excellent news, David. I have always found it surprising that Bristow has been so neglected in the US. Not just because he was amongst the first of American symphonists, but also because he was such an accomplished one. It'll be interesting to see which pieces are recorded. I have enjoyed Järvi's recording of the 3rd Symphony, and Krueger's old LP renditions of the 2nd and 4th Symphonies for many years, but it would be good to hear more modern interpretations of these or, even better, have Miller record something completely new.

[Alan Howe]

I reckon his symphonies are better than Paine's. IMHO...

[eschiss1]

they haven't all been recorded yet, have they?... that might be interesting and good...
The list of his works at IMSLP (while like most such things perpetually in progress pending more data, etc. ... but a good list so far as I know?...) is rather interesting in my opinion.

[mbhaub]

It's great news that New World will bring this recording out, and yet very maddening and sad that NEW WORLD records would produce a new recording of music by an American composer using a British orchestra! Nothing against British orchestras mind you, it's just that musicians unions and their ridiculous labor rules have made recording in the US so expensive that they had to use a foreign orchestra. Sad that American musicians won't even try to support their own heritage. Still, a welcome release.

[edurban]

I reckon his symphonies are better than Paine's. IMHO...

Well, not to be controversial, and tastes differ, but Paine's symphonies are certainly better organized than Bristow's.  Bristow tends to lay out his long tunes and then just alternate 'em.  Very loud climaxes rear up and subside for the pure joy, I suspect, of hearing the New York Phil of Bristow's day at full cry.  There is a maddening amount of repetition in 1,2, and 3 (less so 4) edited out by Jarvi, but not by Krueger.  Nothing really in the way of development.  Yet I love them for their vigor, their good tunes and the lusty scoring (oh, those trombones!)  Maybe we could have some overtures, where the structural issues wouldn't matter so much...

David

[Alan Howe]

That's a good summary of the difference between Bristow and Paine. A combination of the two - Bristow's melodic facility and Paine's organisational capacity - would have made a formidable symphonist.

Still much prefer Bristow to Paine, though...

[Alan Howe]

This is the salient paragraph (suitably edited) about Rebecca Miller's recording activities:

<<Forthcoming recordings include discs with...the BBC Concert Orchestra (Henry Hadley/Dutton), the Royal Northern Sinfonia (...Bristow/New World Records), and with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Beach/Hopekirk/Hyperion Records/Romantic Piano Concerto series).>>
http://www.rebeccamiller.net/artist.php?view=bio

[chill319]

I reckon his symphonies are better than Paine's. IMHO...

Interesting. Once upon a time there seemed a vast gulf in profundity between Bristow and Paine. The passage of time clearly foreshortens all such perspectives, as it has the once seemingly endless feud between the Brahms and Wagner camps.

[vicharris]

I wonder when the Beach/Hopekirk from Hyperion will happen, does anybody have any idea? I suppose it is Beach's Concerto which I love (are there any other works lying hidden by her for pf and orch?), but seems it's been recorded enough times already, and wonderful to finally have Hopekirk to look forward to. Just wish they would have considered some of the other neglected composers. I have heard Dora Bright's pf cto, which, although played by amateur forces (pianist good, orchestra not) was extremely pleasing to me. How about a wholesale cleaning of London attics to find Bluebell Klean's!!!!

[edurban]

As of Feb 21, the conductor's website describes this as an October, 2015 release.

David

[jerfilm]

It seems to me that the 50's Grove suggested there might have been a lost or unfinished second concerto by Mrs. Beach but I've never seen any other reference to it.

Jerry

[edurban]

I'm pleased to note that Rebecca Miller's Bristow disc will feature the Symphony No.2 "Jullien", the Rip Van Winkle Overture (from Bristow's opera) and the overture to The Winter's Tale.  I am fortunate to have a set of ms parts to Bristow's Winter's Tale overture, which was written for an important revival of the play at the old Winter Garden Theatre, in NYC.  Iirc, the revival was staged in 1866, during the management of Edwin Booth, who had just returned to the stage after a hiatus following his brother J W Booth's assassination of President Lincoln.  The production was a magnificent one, stressing spectacle, and featured Bristow's overture and incidental music by the English-born Edward Woolf.  My set of parts includes Woolf's pieces, a very rare survivor from the 19th century American theatre where little care was taken with music and fires were common (the Winter Garden Theatre was itself destroyed by fire the following year.)

Note: the notes to this recording describe the overture as having been originally composed in 1856 for a production of Shakespeare's play at burton's theatre.  It was also used in a revival of the production the following year. 

I'm looking forward to this!

David

[Wheesht]

The New World newsletter has just come, announcing the release of the CD:
http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=94012

[dwshadle]

Amazon (US) is showing a release date of November 13. Can't wait!