Bliss, Music for Strings.
Thu, Jan 12 2012, 9:25PM
Discuss.
Wed, Jan 18 2012, 10:33PM
#2
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
Ha ha Parla....imperitive just like the tone of this wonderful work by our great (yes great) British composer.
I love this warm romantic work that surely deserves more recognition than it currently receives?
Did some digging around and, apparently, it was premiered in Salzberg in 1935 by Boult, with Toscanini and Walter in the audience no less. http://www.chesternovello.com/default.aspx?TabId=2432&State_3041=2&workId_3041=7512
Wonderful rich writing for strings.
Thu, Jan 19 2012, 10:04PM
#3
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
You are right, Atonal. Music for Strings is a stunningly difficult work for String Orchestra. No wonder there are only two recordings of this very interesting and impressive work (the more recent is on Naxos, of course.).
Bliss, on the other hand, is such a wonderful composer, very unduly neglected or overlooked. Particularly, his Chamber Music and some of his orchestral works are absolute delights and technically very interesting and demanding.
Parla
Fri, Jan 20 2012, 11:18AM
#4
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
That Bliss he be a right happy chap everytime I sees a photo of him he got a grin ear to ear he has. Now I dont know much abouit his music but you got me thinking why is thaart, he used to be right popular bit like your mendelssohn but now nobody knows him. So I's have a look at his works and I sees string quartets, I like string quartets i do but is his any good. Now you got your naxos with the maggini quartet I got some of them in britten and they be right good and you got your delme quartet I got some of them in verdi and strauss but I dont know which to think about. Whaart do you think about it.
Tue, Jan 31 2012, 11:30PM
#5
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
There are actually at least five performances on CD, three of them by Boult (Dutton, BBC Radio Classics, EMI), and one by Rignold (Lyrita) and Lloyd-Jones (Naxos). Rignold and Lloyd-Jones are far too slow. For real excitement get any of the Boult performances (recorded in 1937, 1971 & 1973).
Wed, Feb 1 2012, 11:02AM
#6
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
Thanks a lot, Bliss! I think you do full justice to your "adopted name".
I normally follow the more modern recordings, so I ignore the three Boult ones. Boult was considered by some critics, experts etc. as the British Toscanini. So, no wonder about his faster and more exciting tempi. I happen to be absorbed by Toscanini, whenever there is a video of his performances, and I can enjoy his visual interpretation of the respective work. However, when I have to simply listen to his recordings, I found the fast and furious conducting, but not the thrill. Likewise, I found some of Boult recordings lacking what might have been the "real thing". I will look for the 1973 recording, though.
Thanks again.
Parla
Wed, Feb 1 2012, 10:53PM
#7
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
Hi Parla, I have been a Boult fan since the 1940's. In some of his early recordings he out-Toscaninied Toscanini in terms of speed but he mellowed as he got older. For example his 1932 Brahms Tragic Overture was 12:42 minutes ; his 1954 was about the same (12: 45), but his 1970 was 13:58. No matter what though, I always feel at least "satisfied" after listening to one of his recordings. It may not be the best recording ever made of a given piece but I don't feel time was wasted listening to it.
Thu, Feb 2 2012, 1:36PM
#8
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
Bliss
I take it that you are a big fan of your namesake, and hopefully have also heard his contribution to the silver screen. In fact in many ways Bliss was the original film composer, with his score for Things to Come, it paved the way for leading British composers and orchestras.
DSM
Thu, Feb 2 2012, 10:19PM
#9
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
Right you are, DSM. Besides his film music there are his ballets, the cello concerto, the piano concerto, the Colour Symphony, Introduction and Allegro, Meditations on a Theme by John Blow (my favorite Bliss), chamber music, Morning Heroes, etc., etc. In short, I can't think of any thing by Bliss I wouldn't want to hear live. I wish more conductors could be prompted to do so.
Sat, Feb 4 2012, 9:45AM
#10
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
Meditations on a Theme by John Blow (my favorite Bliss)
This is a recent discovery for me ..I have CBSO/Rignold on Lyrita. Other than the theme for BBC Proms season, The Colour Symphony is so very underplayed. As a composer I much prefer him to Bax. I can hear the thunderous typing of keyboards right now.
Sat, Feb 4 2012, 5:46PM
#11
RE: Bliss, Music for Strings.
As a composer I much prefer him to Bax. I can hear the thunderous typing of keyboards right now.
Not at all! Regardless of what one or two posters think, there's all kinds of room for every shade of opinion on here. It's the confusion of opinion with fact that's causing trouble.
Like Arnold, I've been through Bliss in detail and repeatedly and just can't 'get' him. Seems to lack a distinctive voice to my ears. With the exception of the opening bars of the slow movement of the piano concerto marked, I think, pp semplice and realized so beautifully in the Solomon recording, I can hardly recall a note of all the Bliss I have. Which is what makes recordings so valuable. I'll keep returning to them in the hopes they'll click, one day.
I like the imperative tone, Atonal. Order for the forum members.
In order to respond, clarify whether you are interested only in the specific work of Bliss, titled "Music for Strings" or for whatever he wrote for string instruments.
Parla