Search - E.J. Moeran, Vernon Handley, Ulster Orchestra :: Moeran: Symphony in G minor; Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra; Overture for a Masque

A wonderful performance. Irish Impressionism

rash67 | USA | 09/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"EJ Moeran, though sometimes classified as British, he lived some of his life in the Britain, was classified as an Irish Composer in his day! (That's one of the reasons the Ulster Orchestra recorded this). He is of Anglo/Irish parentage. The only thing wrong with his brilliant Symphony in G is that it is the only symphony he ever wrote. It is wonderful music and while it has things in common with Sibelius, Delius and Bax he is really more like Ralph Vaughn Williams than anyone else. Like Bax and much of Vaughn Williams, it is Nature music. There is a beautiful passage of the second movement that always reminds me of a kite rising into the sun. The liner notes mention sand dunes and marshes of East Anglia and melancholy tone pictures of mountains and seaboard of County Kerry. It seems to contain reference to stormy weather, although there is no program with it. The music is Impressionist or shares a late Impressionist feeling with Vaughn Williams, Bax, Stravinsky and Sibelius. It is by no means a lesser symphony than any of theirs. It is sad that Moeran didn't write another.



EJ Moeran did not write "British Light Music"!!!! Finzi wrote British Light. Grainger wrote British Light. This is NOT "light music". British Light refers to miniature pieces under 5 minutes. It is NOT in any way derivative.



Don't overlook this thoughtful Vernon Handley performance because of what is written elsewhere. If you are tired of listening to the same old (mostly German & French) composers all the time, this is a really refreshing change. And melodic - not so modern as to be obnoxiously dissonant. Twentieth Century Music dropped off the dissonant deep end of Twelve tone scales and other uglinesses, which is why it has so little audience today. This is new beautiful, melodic, harmonic, Colorist music written while music was still worth listening to. And certainly not overplayed.



It is one of my all time favorites, symphony and performance.



Highly recommended.



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