The British composer, William
Wordsworth (1908-1988) was born in London and studied harmony and
counterpoint under George Oldroyd (1887-1956), later continuing his studies
with Donald Tovey (1875-1940) at Edinburgh University. He lived in England until 1961 when he moved
to Inverness-shire where he helped to found the Scottish Composer's Guild. He
was a descendent of Christopher Wordsworth, brother of the famous poet.
Wordsworth’s compositions include concertos, chamber works,
vocal and piano works as well as eight symphonies.
Of the symphonies, Lyrita have previously released a
recording of the Symphony No.2 in D, Op.34 and Symphony No. 3 in C, Op.48 (SRCD
207) with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Braithwaite.
Now in their Itter Broadcast Collection comes
recordings of Symphonies 1 and 5
coupled with Wordsworth’s Conflict
Overture.
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| REAM 1121 |
Founder of Lyrita Recorded Edition www.lyrita.co.uk , Richard Itter had a
life-long fascination with recording, acquiring professional equipment for disc
and tape recording for his own private use. From his home, where he was able to
receive a good signal, he made domestic recordings from BBC transmissions of
Proms, premieres, operas, symphonies and chamber music totalling more than 1500
works between 1952 and 1996. Initially recording on magnetic tape particularly
important performances were transferred to acetate disc. These fragile discs
were never played and have remained in excellent condition, as have the
majority of the tapes which make up the bulk of the collection. In 2014 the
Lyrita Recorded Edition Trust begun to transfer this priceless archive and has
put in place formal agreements with the BBC and the Musicians Union to enable
the release of items from it to the public as the Itter Broadcast Collection.
James Loughran conducts the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
in a live mono recording of the Overture
'Conflict' for orchestra Op.86 (1968) broadcast by the BBC on 17th
January 1971. It opens purposefully with a steadily increasing forward pushing
theme, rising to moments of drama with cymbal clashes and a variety of
instrumental interventions. A xylophone and a myriad of percussion and
instrumental sounds achieve a real brilliance in the orchestra. Soon the music falls
to a quieter moment for clarinet, passed through the orchestra as the music
rises again, the xylophone again heard, finding a terrific forward momentum,
reaching a passage of immense force. The music gives way to a swirling of
woodwind over a string layer before rising again with timpani and percussion
making a terrific noise, full of violence. Later there is another quieter
passage, this time for strings before quickly moving forward. Brass appears and there are ripples from the
harp heard over a shimmering orchestra over which the woodwind flow before
rising to a brilliant coda.
The live mono recording is a little boxy but reveals a
surprising amount of detail. Applause is kept in at the end.
Wordsworth’s Symphony
No.1 in F minor Op.23 (1944) was first performed by the BBC Northern
Orchestra (later renamed the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, now the BBC
Philharmonic Orchestra) conducted by Julius Harrison in 1946 in a studio
recording broadcast by the BBC.
In four movements, a series of orchestral chords herald the
opening of the Allegro maestoso before
leading forward through some rather angular phrases. The music soon slows to a
gentler passage for strings with occasional brass, through a meditative,
brooding section with pizzicato basses before finding more of a flow as the
theme is developed, with sudden little dynamic outbursts. The music rises and increases
in tempo with a dominant part for brass. There is a pensive passage with some
lovely woodwind phrases before a lone trumpet brings an affecting moment over a
hushed orchestra before rising with plenty of brass to lead to the end.
In the Adagio ma non troppo
there is a slow melancholy opening for woodwind, soon taken forward by strings
before woven between brass and woodwind. The music slowly rises only to
immediately fall back to a ponderous passage in the basses, full of brooding
intensity. It manages to rise up again with cymbal clashes and brass as the
emotional cork is finally let out of the bottle before finding its way back to
its brooding nature. Individual instruments take and weave the melody before almost
faltering to a standstill, only to move slowly and sadly on to the grief
stricken coda.
The Scherzo. Allegro
con brio moves forward in a rising and falling motif before rising up as
the theme is woven through the orchestra. Again there are cymbal clashes before
the music subsides into a steady forward drive. Soon the music slowly gets
quieter but rises to push forward with intensity. Wordsworth often achieves a great
brilliance of orchestral sound. Again a hushed forward motion is found before
rising to forge ahead to the coda.
The concluding Andante
largamente – Allegro opens gloomily in the basses before soon rising up
through the orchestra in a slow melancholy theme, with some very fine woodwind
and brass passages in this intensely brooding music. Later the strings lighten
the mood, increasing in tempo, though keeping a feeling of anxiety, expanding
through the orchestra as more of a sense of momentum increases. There are some
attractive runs through the woodwind as the music subsides to a hush. The strings
slowly and sadly move forward, brass join to add to the deep melancholy before
the music speeds through brass passages of greater strength with the orchestral
sound finding a greater momentum and impact. There are cymbal clashes and much
brass as the music defiantly heads forward to a hard won triumph.
This is a symphony of some power and emotion. The mono recording
is more spacious though there is a little background hiss.
The Symphony No.5 in
A minor Op.68 (1960) was also first performed in a BBC broadcast concert by
the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.
In three movements the Andante
maestoso opens with a slowly flowing, rather earnest theme that soon rises.
An oboe, then cor-anglais, bring a wonderfully gentle theme, shared by the two
instruments over a pulsating orchestra together with harp. The music rises through
some fine moments with the cor-anglais again heard, Wordsworth weaving some
magical sounds. There is a haunting, flowing, passage for the higher strings,
of great emotional depth, that is soon shaped into a more dynamic passage for
full orchestra, pointed up by timpani and brass. Later the music finds a
subtler undulation with the oboe bringing a gentler, slower moment, again
shared with the cor-anglais. There are delicate phrases with harp as the flute
takes the theme, later woven through the strings, the composer creating some
quite wonderful orchestral sonorities. Eventually there is a violin solo with woodwind
woven around in another wonderful passage. Wordsworth had some wonderfully fine
ideas bringing a rather luminescent sound as the orchestra rises out of the
smaller ensemble, the violin weaving through the woodwind to find a lovely coda.
Wordsworth finds a remarkably individual, delicate, quietly
rhythmic opening for percussion, pizzicato strings and celeste in the Allegro, soon taken up by the rest of
the orchestra as the music rises. Soon there is a more flowing, forward drive
with many fine little instrumental details. A xylophone adds spiky rhythmic phrases
before a flute leads over a lovely string layer in a dancing staccato passage
in a delicate little tune. The music picks up in force to drive forward, timpani
adding weight before woodwind flurries take us back to a quieter, delicate
moment for harp and percussion. The music again moves quickly ahead only to
find a quizzical, delicate conclusion, though not without a final loud
orchestral chord.
The Andante largamente
– Allegro opens darkly in the basses, slowly rising through the strings,
very reminiscent of the opening of the andante largamente of the first
symphony. The music soon gains in angst and intensity until the brass and timpani
declare the reaching of a plateau as the orchestra moves resolutely forward.
Brass fanfares are heard but the music continues to head forward. A fast moving
skittish passage arrives, pointed up by percussion and there are moments of
broader, slower music for brass as well as passages of flowing strings. Centrally
there is a calmer moment for brass and percussion before speeding ahead in the
strings with brass adding colour and brilliance. A broad, confident string led
passage occurs before the woodwind bring a slower passage but the orchestra
soon rises to a resolute coda, wonderfully coloured by percussion.
This is, perhaps, the most impressive and individual work
here. The stereo recording is full and detailed, if a little top heavy.
We are lucky to have these fine works in recordings that
belie their origins. We should thank Lyrita for all the work they are doing in
bringing such neglected works to our attention.
The performances are first rate and there are excellent, very
full booklet notes.
I wonder if there are any more of this composer’s symphonies
hiding in Mr Itter’s collection. I do hope so.
See also:
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