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Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by Tim Perry on May 11, 2008, 2:06 pm 220.101.156.92 A question for the Baxians among us: What are Bryden Thomson's Bax symphony recordings really like? Since Lloyd-Jones and Handley have given us their cycles, every second review I have read praises the newcomers while denigrating the Thomson cycle. I find this a little odd for three reasons: 1. Thomson was a fine conductor and made some wonderful recordings of a wide repertoire, from Nielsen to Martinu. 2. I have enjoyed the Thomson recordings of many of the tone poems - yes Handley often has the edge, but just because Tod is wonderful does not make Thomson terrible. 3. In the interview included on a separate disc with Handley's set of the symohonies, Tod is complimentary about Thomson's recording of Bax's 5th, which coincidentally is the one Bax symphony recording of Thomson's that I have. For all the power and impact of Lloyd-Jones' account and the even greater muscularity and drive of Handley's, I still find myself returning to Thomson's recording often for the magical atmosphere he conjures. I am thinking about buying up the rest of the Thomson Bax cycle - thought the CDs have been deleted, the cycle is downloadable at a very reasonable cost from Chandos' Classical Shop - but wanted to test the critical opinion out there first. Other than the 5th, which of Thomson's Bax symphony recordings are worth hearing? Are any of them as good as those that came after (or before, keeping in mind the resurgence of Lyrita)? Are any of them really terrible? All advice gratefully received. T  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by John Quinn on May 14, 2008, 10:06 pm, in reply to "Bryden Thomson's Bax" 90.199.185.254 Tim, I won't pretend to offer a judgement as to the respective merits of the Handley, Lloyd Jones or Thompson Bax cycles. There are other contributors to Music Web who are far more steeped in Bax than I am and who can offer that kind of informed opinion. However, for what its worth. I came to the Bax symphonies through the Lyrita LPs and it's been a joy to become reacuainted with these fine performances on CD. But the Thompson cycle was the first complete set I bought - on CD - and I have it still. Since then Handley and Lloyd Jones have come alomng and very fine they are too. However, though on balance I think I'd award the palm overall to Tod I think the Thompson set still has much to offer and I doubt you'll be disappointed if you download them. Anyway, for me a crucial thing is how lucky we are to have choice. When I was in my teens living in Yorkshire Thompson was chief conductor of the BBC Northern Symphony as it then was and I enjoyed many concerts under his baton - including my first encounter with Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony - a gripping occasion in Huddersfield - and a suerb Elgar Second in Leeds. Thompson did somw very fine work with the BBC Northern. Some 25 years ago, during a brief membership of the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra I had the good fortune to play in a concert he conducted which included the Dvorak 7th. Jack Thompson came across that day as a modest man and a very fine and conscientious musician.  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by Ford on May 15, 2008, 9:16 am, in reply to "Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax" 203.166.99.230 I have not yet dipped more than a toe into Bax's oeuvre, but I've read the reviews and noticed the disparagement you mention. Not having heard Thomson's Bax, I can't comment on that, but I do wonder if the hazy, romantic style of Bax performance has become anathema because it is somehow held responsible for Bax being overlooked for so long? If that is the case, then surely, after two bracing cycles in a row, Bax is secure enough to admit the "old fashioned" style into the church again.  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by Brian Wilson on May 25, 2008, 11:22 am, in reply to "Bryden Thomson's Bax" 213.205.198.210 I am currently in the process of reviewing the Chandos downloads of Bryden Thomson's versions of Bax's Symphonies. At the price of the downloads (£6) the obvious comparison is with the Naxos/Lloyd-Jones, so I shall make this the basis of most of the reviews. So far, (Symphonies 3-5 : watch the Musicweb site for them to appear) honours are about even. At their modest price, both versions are well worth having - with their different couplings, you may want both. Look out, too, for my reviews of two recent Chandos reissues of Thomson's Bax - The Truth about the Russian Dancers and Orchestral Works 9.  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by Rob Barnett on May 26, 2008, 4:11 pm, in reply to "Bryden Thomson's Bax" Message modified by board administrator May 26, 2008, 7:50 pm Thomson is magnificent in the first two collections of tone poems and his Bax Fourth is amongst the best ever if not the best ever. His Winter Legends (a symphony-manque) is superb. His Bax 5, 6 and 7 are pretty good but Bax 1, 2 and 3 seem underpowered and 'undermagicked' and the recording sounded opaque to me. I played them several times but each time I was left disappointed. I bought these CDs as they came out and was full of excitement and anticipation about them. I bought them in the mid-late 1980s but as each one came out they began to betray a trend - a stultifying heaviness of heart and congested recording quality. Perhaps they have been rmeastered and the later reissues and downloads are better but I could not recommend them - at least not on the basis of my impressions of the CDs when first issued. It's strange - and maybe it is a coincidence but the really successful Chandos Bax-Thomson discs were made with the Ulster Orchestra. For me the Lyrita reissues of 6 (Del Mar), 2 and 5 and 1 and 7 are to be preferred. Rob I used to use the recording of the first symphony as a test piece for listening to various loudspeakers, cables etc. It can sound a superb recording. Len Mullenger  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by Jeffrey Davis on June 6, 2008, 8:45 am, in reply to "Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax" 194.242.159.250 I have the Thomson box set. I largely agree with Rob's comments. I would choose the Lyrita releases of the symphonies. Thomson's No 4 is a great performance and maybe he should have continued the cycle with the Ulster Orchestra. I also like Vernon Handley's earlier recording of the Symphony with the Guildford Philharmonic. For No 3, by far my favourite recording is Edward Downes with the LSO (RCA). Unfortunately this has never been released on CD. Barbirolli is a historic alternative. Certainly Leppard's nos 5 and 7 on Lyrita are unrivalled. I like Thomson's No 6 although Del Mar on Lyrita is probably the best. Goosens' historic recording of No 2 (Dutton) is another essential recording in my view.  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by Tim Perry on June 8, 2008, 3:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax" 220.101.156.92 Thank you all for your comments and recommendations. For the record I have downloaded Thomson's Bax 2 and Bax 4 so far - I'm downloading a little at a time to allow me time to get to know the performances - and have enjoyed both recordings immensely. I agree with the views above - and Brian Wilson's review posted today - as regards the 4th. A wonderful performance! As for the 2nd, I have mixed views. On the one hand I miss the drive, energy and anger that Tod and DL-J bring to the score. Thomson's breadth and softer edge almost make the symphony seem unsymphonic, a perspective which the tauter accounts on Naxos and later Chandos refute. On the other hand, there is a giddy ecstasy to the beautiful slow movement that is unique in Thomson's account and is, of itself, quite addictive. For the record, I have ordered the Fredman and am awaiting its delivery via mail order from the UK. I have been tempted to buy the Goosens, but worry that I will be put off by the sound quality. As for the sound of the Chandos downloads, while I have not heard the original CDs and the chandos website does not indicate any remastering, but both symphonies sound very well to my ears. Jeffrey's post prompts a couple of thoughts and questions. Firstly, does anyone know if there any prospect of the Downes recording of No.3 being reissued? What is the consensus on that recording - I seem to encounter complete antipathy or total worship in the references made to it in reviews and articles on the web. Has anyone ever heard Myer Fredman's ABC classics recording? I have nominated it for an Australian Eloquence reissue, but no word on that front. Has Barbirolli's 3rd ever been available on CD? The third seems to be the most recorded of the set, but it doesn't rise to the peaks of 2, 5 and 6, which at least in my mind are the best of Bax's symphonies. Perhaps I am missing something...  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by TJ on June 9, 2008, 6:54 am, in reply to "Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax" 75.4.16.87 Barbirolli 3rd: http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7111  Post a Response

Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax Posted by Jeffrey Davis on June 14, 2008, 2:26 pm, in reply to "Re: Bryden Thomson's Bax" Message modified by board administrator June 14, 2008, 3:22 pm Re: Tim's enquiry regarding the Edward Downes (RCA) recording of Bax's Third Symphony. Sadly there seems little likelihood of this being reissued in the forseable future (I hope that I am wrong). I got into a bit of trouble over this as Caractacus Downes at Lyrita did suggest that there was some kind of tentative idea of releasing this on Lyrita (after all, Lyrita did issue EMI recordings of Malcolm Williamson Elevamini Symphony etc)but it has become subsequently clear that this was just a vague idea and no discussions, as far as I know, ever materialised between RCA and Lyrita about this. I then mentioned it here whereupon Lyrita were inundated with congratulatory emails from Music Web Bax fans and I was told, by Mr Downes, to "curb my natural enthusiasm". Len was then obliged to issue a disclaimer stating that there was no prospect of a Lyrita release of the Downes recording (although I did not hallucinate my original conversation with Mr Downes). Anyway PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT LYRITA ABOUT THIS! As for the recording, it is my favourite. Maybe that is because I grew up with it, listening to the LP over and over again in the listening room at Lancaster University Library in the early 1970s when I should have been writing history essays! Critical opinion is divided over it although its companion on the LP "The Happy Forest" tends to be universally regarded as a wonderful performance. Best wishes Jeffrey  Post a Response

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