Search - Bax, Thomson, Lpo :: Symphony 1 / Christmas Eve

Dark Bax!

K. Farrington | Missegre, France | 05/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like many veteran Bax fans, I have the Lyrita 1971 recording with Fredman and the LPO of Bax's First who 'broke the duck' for which I am particularly grateful. The question arises however: is the new CD up to the old performance. The answer is a resounding yes! The First Symphony of Bax started out as his Third Piano Sonata in 1921 which he orchestrated, adding a new slow movement in 1922. At this time, Bax had a stormy love affair going on with 'Tania' (Harriet Cohen) as well as his despair over the Easter Rebellion of 1916 and its aftermath. This symphony is Bax's briefest symphonic composition but it is not his least. The first movement starts with a motto theme with a distinctive rapping rhythm not unlike that of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Fate is suggested as in the work but here Bax invokes emotions like vehemance, anger, frustration to which he adds sobbing grief in the second movement. A tale is implicit with black, stormy skies in the opening and in the Lento solemne movement a funereal atmosphere is created by Bax's use of drums with the snares loosened 'as at a funeral'. The sinking grief is underpinned by repetitious bugle calls throughout the movement. The finale opts for a triumphal use of the motto figure from the first movement but this seems hollow and the end feeling is of outstanding matters which need to be resolved at a subsequent time. The orchestration is characteristic early Bax but is dark with the low strings and low brass prevailing over the rest of the orchestra. Listen to the climax early on in the second movement which gives the trombones some wonderful work. The music dies away and a chant comes out of the darkness of the agitated basses. This seems to be looking back at the ancient times of old Ireland, 'the land of the saints and the scholars', to assist us in transcending the naked grief of the opening. However, Bax falls back in terror and anger into catastrophic material that he will exploit in the Second Symphony. The feeling of the end of this movement is of sad resignation and exhaustion as the opening harmonic discord. The other piece, 'Christmas Eve' is a much slighter piece coming from 1912. It has some good atmosphere and shows some deft touches of orchestration but is not up to 'Spring Fire' or 'the Garden of Fand' in Bax sustained musical poetry. Nevertheless, any piece of Bax is welcome on CD as far as I am concerned! I now have the Fredman on CD together with the 7th symphony conducted by Leppard. I now play both versions and they are both excellent to my ear!"