Composed shortly after his wildly successful "Irish" symphony, Charles Villiers Stanford's Symphony No. 4 in F major was expected to be equally well received. According to historians, however, a lukewarm critical reception and too few performances led inevitably to the symphony's obscurity. On hearing this 1990 recording by Vernon Handley and the Ulster Orchestra, listeners may detect other reasons for the symphony's failure, not least its bald imitation of Brahms. The similarities of Stanford's movement structures, ...
Read More
Composed shortly after his wildly successful "Irish" symphony, Charles Villiers Stanford's Symphony No. 4 in F major was expected to be equally well received. According to historians, however, a lukewarm critical reception and too few performances led inevitably to the symphony's obscurity. On hearing this 1990 recording by Vernon Handley and the Ulster Orchestra, listeners may detect other reasons for the symphony's failure, not least its bald imitation of Brahms. The similarities of Stanford's movement structures, melodies, counterpoint, gestures, harmonies, modulations, syncopations, and orchestration with features in Brahms' four symphonies are not only striking, they are glaring. Surely Stanford's contemporaries must have recognized the source of his inspiration and felt uncomfortable with such a blatantly derivative work; at the remove of more than a century, the Symphony No. 4 really sounds like a pastiche of Brahms at every turn, and it almost defies belief in its brazen borrowings. In any...
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. This item has very light surface scratches that do not affect the use of the disc/s. This is a USED item and case may have light wear. All items unless otherwise noted will include disc, case, and artwork. Codes have been used. Other contents such as booklets may vary, please inquire for details. All items ship Monday-Friday within 2-3 business days.