Holbrooke Orchestral Works
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Joseph Holbrooke
Label: Marco Polo
Magazine Review Date: 12/1995
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 46
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 8 223721
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
(The) Children of Don, Movement: Overture |
Joseph Holbrooke, Composer
Andrew Penny, Conductor Joseph Holbrooke, Composer Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra |
(The) Birds of Rhiannon |
Joseph Holbrooke, Composer
Andrew Penny, Conductor Joseph Holbrooke, Composer Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra |
Dylan, Movement: Prelude |
Joseph Holbrooke, Composer
Andrew Penny, Conductor Joseph Holbrooke, Composer Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra |
Author: Michael Stewart
This is only my fourth encounter with the music of Joseph Holbrooke – previous discoveries were the First Piano Concerto, The Birds of Rhiannon and extracts from the opera Bronwen. Whilst these were in no way unpleasant experiences I cannot say that they left a lasting impression either. Unfortunately the two unfamiliar works on this disc have done little to alter my initial reaction. Having an interest in things Celtic myself I was eager to hear the products of Holbrooke's own fascination with Celtic mythology, which spawned, among other things, a trilogy of operas based on legends from the Mabinogion. Preludes from two of the operas can be heard here – Dylan and The Children of Don. Once again I found myself confronted with music that was by no means unpleasant; Holbrooke was certainly a skilful and colourful orchestrator. The element I find missing in this music, however, is a sense of Celtic identity. In the Overture to The Children of Don the flavour is predominantly Wagnerian (both Parsifal and Siegfried seem to be lurking in the shadows throughout this disc) and although one can see clear parallels with the Mabinogion and the Nibelungen a simple case of English Wagnerism does not do the Mabinogion any justice.
By far the most memorable and impressive piece of Holbrooke's which I have heard, though even this is strongly Germanic and Wagnerian in flavour, is the symphonic poem The Birds of Rhiannon. Readers may remember an earlier recording of this work on Lyrita with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Vernon Handley (3/79 – nla), which was in a different league to the present recording. To be fair though, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine give a reasonably good account of themselves, though there are moments where matters of ensemble are not all they might be. In sum then, if you have enjoyed Marco Polo's two previous Holbrooke recordings then you probably won't be disappointed, but for first-time explorers I would suggest sampling before purchasing.
'
By far the most memorable and impressive piece of Holbrooke's which I have heard, though even this is strongly Germanic and Wagnerian in flavour, is the symphonic poem The Birds of Rhiannon. Readers may remember an earlier recording of this work on Lyrita with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Vernon Handley (3/79 – nla), which was in a different league to the present recording. To be fair though, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine give a reasonably good account of themselves, though there are moments where matters of ensemble are not all they might be. In sum then, if you have enjoyed Marco Polo's two previous Holbrooke recordings then you probably won't be disappointed, but for first-time explorers I would suggest sampling before purchasing.
'
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