Composer: Frank Bridge
Performer: Howard Shelley, Alban Gerhardt, Roderick Williams, Philip Langridge, Sarah Connolly, BBC National Chorus of Wales
Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Conductor: Richard Hickox
Number of Discs: 6
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Chandos
Catalogue: CHAN10729(6)X
Release: 2012
Size: 1.64 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
01. Enter Spring, H. 174
02. Isabella, H. 78
Two Poems for Orchestra, H. 118
03. I. Andante moderato e semplice
04. II. Allegro con brio
05. Symphonic Poem, H. 30, “Mid of the Night”
CD 02
01. Dance Rhapsody, H. 84
Five Entr’actes, H. 95, “The Two Hunchbacks”, Act I
02. Prelude. Allegretto moderato – Lento
Five Entr’actes, H. 95, “The Two Hunchbacks”, Act II
03. Intermezzo. Andantino
Five Entr’actes, H. 95, “The Two Hunchbacks”, Act III
04. Intermezzo. Allegretto marziale
05. Prelude. Lento
06. Entr’acte. Moderato
07. Dance Poem, H. 111
08. Norse Legend, H. 60 (Version for Orchestra)
The Sea, H. 100
09. I. Seascape. Allegro ben moderato
10. II. Sea-foam. Allegro vivo
11. III. Moonlight. Adagio ma non troppo
12. IV. Storm. Allegro energico
CD 03
01. Coronation March, H. 97
02. Summer, H. 116
03. Phantasm, H. 182
04. There Is a Willow Grows aslant a Brook, H. 173
Vignettes de danse, H. 166
05. I. Nicolette. Andante moderato
06. II. Zoraida. Allegretto molto moderato
07. III. Carmelita. Con brio
08. Sir Roger de Coverley (A Christmas Dance), H. 155
CD 04
01. Rebus, H. 191: Overture
02. Oration, H. 180, “Concerto Elegiaco”
03. Symphony, H. 192: Allegro Moderato
04. Lament, H. 117
05. A Prayer, H. 140
CD 05
Suite for Strings, H. 93
01. I. Prelude. Moderato
02. II. Intermezzo. Allegretto grazioso
03. III. Nocturne. Adagio molto
04. IV. Finale. Allegro vivo
05. The Hag, H. 14
Two Songs of Robert Bridges, H. 65
06. I. I Praise the Tender Flower
07. II. Thou Didst Delight My Eyes
Two Intermezzi, H. 151
08. I. Andante molto moderato e tranquillo
09. II. Tempo di valse – Animato
Two Old English Songs, H. 119
10. I. Sally in Our Alley
11. II. Cherry Ripe
Two Entr’actes
12. I. Rosemary, H. 68b
13. II. Canzonetta, H. 169
14. Valse Intermezzo à cordes, H. 17
15. Komm susser Tod, “Todessehnsucht”, H. 181
16. Sir Roger de Coverley, H. 155, “A Christmas Dance”
CD 06
01. Blow out, you bugles, H. 132
02. Adoration, H. 57
03. Where She Lies Asleep, H. 114
04. Love Went A-Riding, H. 115
05. Thy Hand in Mine, H. 124
06. Berceuse, H. 9
07. Mantle of blue, H. 131
Three Songs, H. 164
08. No. 1, Day after day
09. No. 2, Speak to me, my love!
10. Berceuse, H. 8
11. Three Orchestral Pieces, H. 18: No. 2, Chant d’esperance
12. Serenade, H. 23
The Pageant of London Suite, H. 98
13. I. Solemn March. Richard III leaving London
14. II. First Discoveries. Introduction
15. II. First Discoveries. Pavane
16. II. First Discoveries. La Romanesca a Galliard
17. III. March. Henry VIII entering London
18. A Royal Night of Variety, H. 184
The complete orchestral works by Frank Bridge are here released in an attractive six-disc box for the first time, as part of the new Hickox Legacy commemorative series on Chandos Records, leading up to (and continuing beyond) the fifth anniversary, in Nov 2013, of the conductor’s untimely death. The box is released on the Chandos Classics label at Mid-Price – 6 CDs for the price of 4.
A couple of orchestral works aside, the repertoire of Frank Bridge was largely ignored until Hickox embarked on the complete cycle of his orchestral music, which revealed to the world what a remarkably varied and imaginative composer he was.
All of Bridge’s orchestral music is about something: there are nature-inspired tone poems, such as The Sea and Enter Spring; there are war-inspired works such as Oration and the Overture Rebus; and there are those pieces with a more ambiguous or elusive ‘emotional’ programme, such as Dance Poem and Phantasm.