Lilburn Judd New Zealand Sym Orch - 3 Symphonies (8 tracks) +Album Reviews

The World Needs You, Douglas Lilburn!

Jenny Hanniver | Philadelphia, PA, United States | 08/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The music of Douglas Lilburn, the greatest of all New Zealand composers, is beginning to come out of isolation and into the world -- and it's about time. I've long been enamored of Lilburn's Second Symphony, having discovered it on WQXR-FM, then obtaining the now out-of-print CD (on Kiwi/Stradivari) with Heenan conducting the NZSO. Judd's NZSO performance is equally exciting, and the brass chorales are as overwhelming to the senses as any of the Gabrielis'. This use of brass, although not so extended, is foreshadowed in the First Symphony. The later Third Symphony is equal to the others, although it's different in tone color and Lilburn's vision has become more introspective. I recommend all three.But it's the "brash brass" of the first two that keeps running through my head. The sheer persistence and chutzpah of Lilburn's use of brass reminds me of Nielsen's manic percussion in his Fourth Symphony. Perhaps Lilburn's music is "Nordic," as some musicologists have suggested. He is frequently compared with Sibelius, but if any Scandinavian comparison need be made it should be to Nielsen.However, I'd like to think that this outstanding music is pure New Zealand and that Lilburn owes his vision to his homeland's mountains, valleys, and towering clouds that pattern the land between episodes of shadow and brilliant sunlight. Those of us who've seen that island nation's vastness in THE LORD OF THE RINGS now know why it can evoke such fierce and beautiful passion."

Nordic Kiwi.

Bob Zeidler | Charlton, MA United States | 04/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A few enthusiastic on-the-web reviews of this CD, and one in Fanfare magazine, were all it took for me to give the music of Douglas Lilburn, a recently-deceased (2001) New Zealand composer, a try. (At Naxos prices, what is there to lose, anyway?) It turns out that I'm glad that I did, even though, after listening to the CD numerous times, I've come to recognize minor inaccuracies in at least one of those on-line reviews (elsewhere, not here at Amazon.com). Lilburn's music turned out to be well worth my time, in more ways than one.

Despite Lilburn's having studied in England with Ralph Vaughan Williams, there is not very much in these three symphonies to suggest an obvious connection, except through very careful listening (and, clearly, a knowledge of Vaughan Williams's works). Even then, the connection is subtle and fleeting for the most part, and only truly evident in the two earlier symphonies. Elsewhere in these works, parallels to other 20th-century composers can be made, most obviously - and particularly in the two earlier works - to Jean Sibelius, Sir William Walton, Howard Hanson and Carl Nielsen (hence the "Nordic Kiwi" reference in the brief description at the top).

Lilburn's three-movement First Symphony (1949) comes across as - despite his New Zealand origins - unabashedly Nordic in its "sound." The first movement is very Sibelius-like, with its building up of the work from small motivic cells, using harmonic and instrumental-color touches (woodwind pairs in thirds, for example) that remind one of the great Finn. The more brilliant parts of the movement also suggest Walton, particularly his Symphony No. 1. Several minutes into this first movement, there is a clarinet figure which reminds one of Nielsen, but then, immediately after, the thought of Sibelius returns stronger than ever. There is even a hint of very late Sibelius, say, his "Tapiola," in the movement's occasional moments of bleakness.The second movement opens in a Vaughan Williams-like pastoral mood to start, following which the alternation among Hanson, Sibelius and Nielsen seems to again dominate. The third movement again brings Vaughan Williams or Walton, as well as Sibelius, to mind. There is a brass theme reminiscent of Walton's "Crown Imperial," followed by more work reminiscent of RVW, along the lines of his "Folk Song Suite" or, perhaps, portions of his London Symphony or the more pastoral Third and Fifth Symphonies. This final movement closes in a manner that is very much Hanson-like in its neoromantic richness; it is almost a ringer for the closing moments of Hanson's own Romantic (2nd) Symphony.

Much the same can be said for the four-movement Second Symphony (1951), in terms of allusions to these aforementioned composers. But the third-movement Lento invests this later work in depth of emotional intensity (reminiscent of the Largo movement of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony) not experienced in the earlier work. Overall, it is the more engaging (and more fully-developed) work of the two.

The Third Symphony (1961) represents a dramatic change in compositional aesthetic from the two earlier works from the previous decade. It is definitely sterner stuff: much more chromatic and stretching the limits of tonality almost to the edge of atonality, and with little evidence of the Nordic sound of the two earlier works. In fact, the allusions are more to William Schuman or, perhaps, Paul Hindemith, with some suggestion of Serge Prokofiev in the "Vivace" section and Béla Bartók, as in his Concerto for Orchestra, in the "Andante" section. Despite its 14-minute terseness (in one movement that Lilburn divides into five connected sections), it is a richer and more rewarding (if more challenging) work than the earlier two symphonies.

Admittedly, my comments appear to describe these Lilburn symphonies as "rich in borrowed eclecticism." But, if you enjoy the works of any of the composers who seem to be alluded to in these works, you're likely to enjoy this album. The first two works will not challenge you greatly, perhaps, and Lilburn's voice is hardly what I'd characterize as "truly original," but they are tuneful and totally tonal in a way that today's neoromantic composers seem unable to achieve. Worth a listen on those grounds alone.

The recording is fine; perhaps a slight bit on the congested side when listened to on speakers but seemingly clearer when heard on wide-range headphones. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra acquits itself very well in these works (as one expects it should).

The booklet notes are largely a waste, consisting of only the barest biographical materials and little of musicological merit, especially considering that for many this will be their first experience with Lilburn's music.. Anyone able to make the "Nordic" connections that I (and other reviewers) have made, with little trouble at all, will be frustrated by the fact that the notes say little about Lilburn's music and its possible influences and inspirations beyond the fact that he studied with Vaughan Williams.

A recent news article on Klaus Heymann, the founder/owner of Naxos, states that he lives in New Zealand and no longer oversees the Naxos operation with the same day-to-day attention to detail that he earlier did, in establishing the label's reputation.

And it shows. To me, it seems as if he had little if any direct role in championing this release; it doesn't have his characteristic "fingerprints" for notational detail and scholarship. (By contrast, the Naxos booklet notes for the recent "critical edition" recordings of the Charles Ives 2nd and 3rd Symphonies, by Kenneth Schermerhorn and James Sinclair respectively, are models of musicological clarity and comprehensiveness.) As a result, I feel as if I can give this release only four stars, despite the novelty of the music, as well as its performance, being reasonably meritorious.

Bob Zeidler"

Highly Interesting Symphonies

D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 09/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had not heard of Douglas Lillburn before the release of this disc. I became interested after reading reviews of this disc. His symphonies are highly interesting and although there may not be a melody that you remember, his musical ideas make great listening. Lillburn was from New Zealand and studied music in England, most notably with Ralph Vaughan Williams. His music has been compared to Sibelius and Vaughan Williams but, for me, there is a lot of Walton in his approach to orchestration. One review I read suggested that the Third Symphony was a bit difficult and abrasive at first hearing but I did not find this to be the case. The Second Symphony was inspired by Lillburn's love of nature. In this symphony he sonically gives his impressions of the landscape of New Zealand that is especially expressive. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra play the symphonies beautifully, and the recording is superb. I highly recommend this disc of very approachable modern music."

Southern Hemisphere Sibelius

Thomas F. Bertonneau | Oswego, NY United States | 09/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many years ago, on Los Angeles radio, I heard a recording of the overture "Aoteoroa" by the New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn (1915-2001), who had studied in England with Ralph Vaughan Williams and who got the credit for establishing serious composition in his native islands. I knew from having glanced at the entry in Baker's that Lilburn had gone on to write three symphonies and many other works, but I never in those days (the 1970s) thought that I would actually encounter them. There were occasional notices in the record catalogues that one or the other of the trio had been recorded, but the LPs never seemed to reach the Los Angeles outlets. (Not even the redoubtable Vogue Records on Westwood Boulevard near UCLA seemed to be able to get them.) Compact disc liberated many composers into wider circulation than they had ever previously enjoyed, but did not bring Lilburn much closer. The Naxos people have now remedied that situation with their single disc anthology of all three symphonies performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under James Judd. What are Lilburn's symphonic canvasses like? I would answer this way: while it is entirely appropriate that Judd and the New Zealanders have undertaken this project, it might equally have been assigned to Petri Sakari and the Iceland Symphony as an addendum to their Sibelius cycle, for the idiom of the first two symphonies especially is strongly Sibelian, or at the very least Nordic in inspiration. I beg readers not to take me wrongly. I'm not trying to diminish Lilburn's compositional profile, which I would rate as high. In the case of unfamiliar composers, one tries to suggest their character by references to familiar figures. It's also true that a number of mid-century note scribblers took Sibelius as a model and they nevertheless managed to express themselves individually. Howard Hanson, the American, was one. Given that Lilburn explicitly sought, in these scores, to evoke the rugged New Zealand landscape, with its mountains and fjords and blustery weather, his appropriation of the Finn's devices - the long-held pedal notes, the disposition of the orchestra into its distinct choirs, the forbidding minor-mode themes alternating with major-key crescendos - should come as no surprise. This is all the more to be expected since Lilburn's teacher, RVW, deeply admired Sibelius to the extent of dedicating his Fifth Symphony "without permission" to the Baltic master. The First Symphony (1949) comprises three movements: Allegro non Troppo, Andante con Moto, and Allegro. A memorable trumpet tune often recalled heralds the bright and outgoing First Movement. The movement outlines a journey from the plain to the height, in distinct stages of ascent. The music is deeply moving and positive in its effect. Between seven and eight minutes in comes a lovely, lyrical meditation involving horn and woodwinds. The Second Movement evokes, by contrast with the foregoing panel, a somber atmosphere, which, however, insistently aspires upward. The Third Movement is again outgoing, even heroic, in character, with just the proper leavening of nostalgia. (Think of the second half of Sibelius' "Night-Ride and Sunrise.") Only a cynic could remain unaffected by it. The Second Symphony (1951) mines the same rich vein, although there are now four, as opposed to three, movements: Moderato, Allegro Vivace, Poco Lento, and Allegro. Anyone who is fond of Sibelius' Sixth or Hanson's Second Symphony will find much esthetic nourishment in this score. The Third Symphony (1961) stands apart from its precursors in the cycle. Norman Lebrecht notes in his Companion to Twentieth Century Music that Lilburn gave in to artistic fashion, rejecting his initial romantic orientation for the will-o'-the-wisp of serial composition and various other fads, such as electronic music. The Third is half as long as the First or Second, and deploys, by comparison, a harsh vocabulary. It is recognizably by the same composer, but not nearly so attractive or congenial as his earlier productions. Despite its self-conscious "modernity," it has its merits, not least of which is that it throws its two companions into greater relief. It sounds, to locate a plausible analogy, a bit like the symphonic music of the Norwegian Fartein Valen; or maybe it sounds like Samuel Barber's Third, as opposed to his First or Second, Essay for Orchestra. The impression is of a basically romantic composer trying to sound contemporary. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has been making records for more than a decade. They set down a series of American works under Andrew Schenck and James Sedares for Koch and have done a lot of work, in various idioms, for Naxos. They are a top-class band. This disc is recommended."

Some other comparisons (perhaps helpful)

E. Weed | Houston, TX | 02/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are already well-done and positive reviews of this fine music, and I only add my 2 cents from the standpoint of possibly helping some potential listeners imagine the way Lilburn's music sounds. Personally, I hear less Nielson or Vaughan Williams and more Diamond, Piston and (for those of you who've heard him) the under-appreciated Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja. In other words, there's not much "English pastoralism" here, and the music is more updated and craggy (to my ears) than Nielson. Yet there is some first rate, and moving, melodic content. Tonal centers are somewhat elusive, but are certainly there, as in mid-period Piston and Diamond. Like those composers, Lilburn had the courage to write basically tonal music when quite a bit of the academic world was pretending it was dead. Yet his music is very clearly of it's time...nothing anachronistic at all about it.

I'd heard the 2nd Symphony before (and even had it on LP, but can't find it now), and it did not break through that strongly to me back then. I am guessing that James Judd and the NZSO deserved credit for handling Lilburn's music in a particularly perceptive and sympathetic way, such that we're getting the full measure of the music, which may not have been the case in the earlier performance. (Or maybe it's just my ears.) The sound is as good as Naxos gets, which is embarrassingly good when compared to some of the full-price labels."

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	Lilburn, Judd, New Zealand Sym Orch 3 Symphonies Genre: Classical Track Listings (8) - Disc #1 Allegro Non Troppo Andante Con Moto Allegro Prelude: Moderato Scherzo: Allegro Vivace Introduction: Poco Lento Finale: Allegro Moderato - Vivace - Allegro - Andante - Allegro
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