Arnold Bax Symphony No. 1 in E-Flat

Since I have noticed the interest in Sibelius and his symphonies, I thought I would recommend another fine symphonist, Sir Arnold Bax (1883–1953). Like Sibelius, Bax composed seven symphonies and strove toward formal concision and unity in his works. It may be one of the tightest symphonic cycles of the twentieth century. The seven symphonies were composed over the course of 20 years and the cycle is unique in that the musical drama of one work, though complete in and of itself, demands resolution in the next. Thus Bax takes one step further the formal concision developed by Sibelius. I have included an essay I have written about Bax's First Symphony (1922) in order to introduce others who may not be familiar with this unique music, which is romantic yet entirely innovative at the same time. The entire cycle is certainly worth getting to know and I hope that discovery of this First Symphony will motivate others to explore the rest!

Symphony No. 1 in E-flat, P. 256, dedicated to John Ireland, is scored for 1 piccolo doubling flute, 3 other flutes, 1 bass flute, 2 oboes, 1 English horn, 3 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, bass drum, tenor drum, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, gong, triangle, bells, xylophone, glockenspiel, celesta, 2 harps, and strings. The London Symphony Orchestra under conductor Albert Coates gave the premi

A good general recording of all seven symphonies is Vernon Handley's Boxed set on the Chandos label. You can find this on itunes or at amazon.