Ethel Smyth - The Prison

[britishcomposer]

I just found this exciting announcement. Long awaited by many of us.
https://www.classicalmusicdaily.com/2020/06/smyth.htm

[Kevin]

That sounds wonderful. I hate to be a pain about this but I've never been able to locate her Wreckers opera digitally. Is it available in this format and I just haven't looked probably?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Fantastic news. I am thrilled. This is a very important work which, if I am honest, I never expected to hear. Three cheers for Chandos, back on form as an adventurous champion of British music.

[Kevin]

Chandos has always been great and adventurous I agree but lately I've noticed their rival Hyperion has been quite conservative in their choice of releases(maybe it's just my imagination)

[Gareth Vaughan]

Well, I wouldn't call the Romantic Piano Concerto series conservative, nor the Classical PC series, nor the Litolff and Pixis piano trios, nor the forthcoming piano quintets by D'Erlanger and Dunhill, nor the recent Scharwenka and Lassen VCs...

[Kevin]

Maybe you're right. My imagination does tend to run away at times...

[Jimfin]

Wonderful news! This work is possibly at the very top of my wish list for recordings and has been for a very long time. The Boatswain's Mate was high on that list for decades too and is now available, so this means most of the Smyth works I would most like to hear will be available. And since it's Chandos it'll be a decent recording. They do seem back on form, after releasing Parry's Judith

[Kevin]

The Chandos recording of Parry's Judith is great, easily one of the best new finds I've heard this whole year. Go Chandos!

[Gareth Vaughan]

I certainly agree with you both about Judith. A marvellous work and recording. I just wish they could be persuaded to record some Holbrooke.

[Ebubu]

I'm not sure that "quite conservative" is the appropriate word for the evolution of Hyperion.  But I'm saddened that they seem to have completely dropped their interest in lyric and light lyric repertoire.  Their few issues of British light repertoire (The Geisha, The Maid of the Mountains;...) was a joy, and we could have hoped for more, as this repertoire is completely neglected : some Cellier, some more Sidney Jones, some Edward German ("Merrie England")... One could have thought that after their lovely Briséis (Chabrier), they would have been tempted to explore more of rare French repertoire... I suggested Simon Perry to explore the repertoire of Prix de Rome cantatas, which I'm sure would have proven source of some delightful discoveries... But to no avail...

[eschiss1]

Not that this would have been a bad idea at all, but maybe their thinking was that there was already a series devoted to the Prix de Rome cantatas on another label (Dutton, I think??) But as a general thing I agree with you...

[Gareth Vaughan]

The Prix de Rome cantatas were done by Bru Zane, IIRC.

[Alan Howe]

We're veering off track here. So back to Ethel, please.

I understand The Prison is a symphony (of sorts). Can anyone enlighten us further?

[tappell]

I have the book of her memoirs abridged by Donald Chrichton, which is a fascinating read, describing in conversational terms, meetings with among other luminaries, Tchaikovsky and Brahms.

The Prison is described as a symphony for Soprano and Bass Soloists, Choir and Orchestra. The premiere was at the Usher Hall Edinburgh with the Reid Chorus and Reid Symphony Orchestra on the 19th February 1931, followed only days later by a second performance at The Queens Hall under then Dr. (later Sir) Adrian Boult, on 24 February 1931.

[Wheesht]

Here's a review of sorts from a newspaper called Truth, from 4 March 1931 (this is the entire text):

Dame Ethel Smyth and Brewster's "Prison"

The new choral work composed by Dr. Ethel Smyth with words from a philosophical work entitled "The Prison," originally published in 1891, was performed by the Bach Choir at the Queen's Hall last Thursday night. It is difficult to know how to write of such a composition, which, from a strictly musical point of view, offers very little scope for favourable comment. One cannot help feeling surprise that so much time and energy could be expended with so little evidence of real musical talent. The music is banal and commonplace to a degree, and the lack of musical tact which it displays in its extraordinary mixture of bird twitterings, bugle calls (the "Last Post" is used with ill effect in the finale), contrapuntal exercises, and ancient Greek melodies only shows what can happen when a woman is inspired by a male pseudo-philosopher (whether his name be Brewster or another) instead of God.