Hubert Parry

This is the second issue in the Chandos cycle of Parry's orchestral and choral works in which Matthias Bamert is conducting the London Philharmonic. It is splendid to hear this neglected music so sensitively and enthusiastically interpreted by a non-British conductor. Although two of the works on this disc—the Fifth Symphony and the Elegy for Brahms—have been previously recorded for EMI in 1978 by Boult with the same orchestra (11/87—nla), I have no hesitation in declaring that these are finer performances and interpretations. Boult loved Parry's music, but Bamert finds more passion and mystery in it. Sir Adrian seemed more concerned with its structure, trusting that the emotion would emerge of its own accord, as no doubt it would have done if he had been younger and fitter when he made his recording.

The pioneering Chandos recordings of Parry’s symphonies by Matthias Bamert and the London Philharmonic confirmed that the concert world of Victorian England was not just a void waiting to be filled by Elgar. More than one expressive vein considered typically Elgarian was first tapped by Parry, and extended by him with professional flair. His symphonies established an independent vision, and cannot be dismissed as mere precursors of a greater composer.

There are signs of a much overdue, and very welcome, Parry revival. Apart from Blest Pair of Sirens, little of Parry's choral music has been performed—or recorded—in recent years. His star was to a large degree eclipsed by that of his slightly younger contemporary Elgar at the end of his lifetime, but there's no doubt that the latter was strongly influenced by Parry's music, especially when it came to writing his oratorios, as this recording well shows. Parry's Job, written in 1892, pre-dates all of Elgar's oratorios and it is easy to detect its influence in, for instance, The Dream of Gerontius, written ten years later.

Chandos's brave and important Parry series, conducted with sterling musicianship and remarkable insights by Matthias Bamert, adds another choral disc to the four out of the five symphonies so far issued. Recently The Soul's Ransom and The Lotos Eaters were released (1/92) and now comes the large-scale, nearly hour-long cantata Invocation to Music, a ten-movement setting of a poem by Parry's friend Robert Bridges and composed ''in honour of Henry Purcell'' for the bicentenary, in 1895, of his death. The first performance was at the Leeds Festival that year. How many have there been since then?

Parry (1848-1918), along with Stanford, made the first stage of a three- stage rocket that got British music into the orbit of the 20th century. Between them, they taught practically every major British composer of the coming generations. Both were excellent symphonists. Parry's Symphony 1 (1891) is itself strongly influenced by Brahms and Schumann in both structure and tone, but it also has a dab of British pomp (you can hear Elgar coming over the horizon). His Concertstuck of 1877 has clear Wagnerian traits, but it is more morose than Wagner. A fine performance and recording.

Parry’s two finest and most popular anthems, Blest Pair of Sirens and I was glad, make an attractive coupling to his famous choral works. The 45-minute work The Soul’s Ransom, with its sequence of solos and choruses, forms a broadly symphonic four-movement structure and The Lotos eaters; a setting for soprano, chorus and orchestra is performed by Della Jones, a characterful soloist. This is a full and atmospheric recording to match the incandescent performances.

Parry’s 1888 oratorio on the Apocryphal tale of an avenging Jewish widow emerges as a worthy successor to Mendelssohn’s Elijah in this gripping world premiere recording with Sarah Fox, Kathryn Rudge and Toby Spence.