Walford Davies Symphony 2 at EMF

[musiclover]

Funny someone saying that Yates isn't entirely sold on the idea of recording the Walford Davies. When I congratulated him at Dorchester and mentioned that he should (in my opinion) consider recording the Symphony he gave me the impression that he had decided to do it. He did a massive amount of work getting the piece into a performable state it would be a terrible waste if he didn't. Maybe we should send Dutton emails showing our support for such a venture. I listened to the performance on Radio 3 the other day. I enjoyed it. Not top drawer, but certainly worth hearing a few times to proper evaluate it as it certainly isn't second rate. Well, in my opinion anyway.

[Alan Howe]

I think that's right, Mark.

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, clearly it is. I prepared the description before I had heard the music! Apologies for not checking that. A cautionary tale. I have amended the description in my post in the Downloads board accordingly.

[eschiss1]

I'm a little (not very, but a little) surprised to see Romance: Allegro felice rather than Romance: Lento espressivo. But then, the telling of a tale needn't be somnolent...

[Mark Thomas]

Sorry Eric, for the movements I simply copied what was written by the author of the review (which Alan posted here) of the Symphony's performance, published in the Musical Times in 1911:

A  purely delightful and unfettered Romanze, Allegro felice (D major) takes the place of a Scherzo

The actual tempi indications in the score could be totally different, but that's all I had to go on.

[eschiss1]

I don't find it incredible or even unprecedented, just unusual. Thanks!

[Gareth Vaughan]

I have listened with great interest to this symphony, and shall do so again. It's no forgotten masterpiece - but it is very prettily orchestrated and nicely constructed. The style is superficially Elgarian - no doubt of that; a pity the melodic material is not more immediately memorable. However, these are only first impressions, and there is much to like about the piece, even on first hearing. The first movt. seems - and I stress seems - to be the weakest; yet I suspect it is the one which will repay further listening the most. We shall see. I am extremely glad that it was performed and that, through Mark's good offices, I now have the opportunity to listen to it more than once.

[musiclover]

Some of you are talking about the movements of the symphony and I wanted to share with you the info that Martin Yates kindly sent to me after I emailed him via his management.

Movement 1: Largo Maestoso - Allegro Energico - Lento Maestoso
Movement 2: "Romanza": Allegretto Felice sempre teneramente ed espressivo
Movement 3: Lento espressivo
Movement 4: Lento Mistico - Allegro Vivace

Regarding the order of the movements this is Martin's comment:

" in preparing the performing edition I was working from the original mss and at some time prior to that first performance, probably at the same time as he was making the heavy cuts that I restored, Walford Davies wrote across the top of the Romanza "this movement second" and across the top of the Lento espressivo "this movement to be third". I can only presume that this was done at the same time as he made the cuts because the ink is the same as all the cuts and appears to be in the same condition of preservation as the cuts, not in the same state as the actual music written on the staves. I decided to play the movements in the revised order because I think it makes more sense, with the Romanza lightening the sound picture after a very tough first movement and with the Lento espressivo going almost as one movement into the Lento Mistico of the finale. You could say that in doing that I should have also kept the cuts. However, I just do not believe Walford Davies really wanted these cuts. His whole approach to this symphony is one of total control over his material and by taking out parts of the exposition and also various moments of high climax he seems to have undermined this. Could it have been a simple matter of him being practical with these cuts after having been told the symphony was too long to be scheduled with such little rehearsal time? He had after all had it taken out of a previously announced programme."
Anyway I am grateful to Martin for giving me this information, as well as for rescuing the symphony too of course!

[Jimfin]

Thank you very much for the movements' information. That's really helpful.

[Alan Howe]

Yes, very many thanks. I have duly modified the details in the Downloads board.

[eschiss1]

Agreed, thanks!
Is date of composition known (also 1911, or somewhat earlier?...)

[Mark Thomas]

I've been away from UC for a couple of days, but grateful thanks nonetheless to musiclover for the Davies Symphony update. Very interesting. Thanks also, Alan, for amending my post in the Downloads board.

[eschiss1]

This is Davies' symphony 2- may have been asked before but any idea if the symphony in D of (1894? 1895?) exists still?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Walford Davies' MSS are at the RCM, Eric. I think the list of what they hold is available online. You could check their website. If not, their chief librarian is very helpful and would be able to provide information on the earlier symphony, if they have it.

[Mark Thomas]

Eric, the list of Walford Davies manuscripts held by the RCM is here. You'll see that it includes the Symphony in D.