William Wordsworth: Orchestral Music, Volume One
The music of London-born William Wordsworth (1908–88) – a great-great-grandson of the poet’s brother Christopher – lies downstream from that of Vaughan Williams and Sibelius. Like that of his contemporary Edmund Rubbra, Wordsworth’s music unfolds spontaneously, as a natural process, with a sense of grandeur perhaps enhanced by his move to the Scottish Highlands in 1961. Three of the four works recorded here display the sober dignity of the instinctive symphonist; the Variations on a Scottish Theme reveal a sly sense of humour behind the serious countenance.
Liepāja Symphony Orchestra
John Gibbons, conductor
Listen To This Recording:
-
Divertimento in D, Op. 58 (1954)
- I Overture
- II Air
- III Gigue
- Poco adagio – Allegro
- Theme: Allegretto (♩. = c. 72)
- Variation 1
- Variation 2: ♩. = c. 72 or may be poco meno mosso
- Variation 3: ♩ = 108?
- Variation 4: L’istesso tempo
- Variation 5: Adagio espressivo
- Variation 6: Tempo I (72)
- Variation 7: ♩ = 108
- Variation 8: Andante espressivo
- Variation 9: Tempo I
- I ♪ = 69 – Animato
- II Allegro – Meno mosso
- III Allegro – Meno mosso (with alternative ending)
Symphony No. 4 in E flat, Op. 54 (1953)
Variations on a Scottish Theme, Op. 72 (1962)
Symphony No. 8, Pax Hominibus, Op. 117 (1986)
FIRST RECORDINGS
*LIVE RECORDING
MusicWeb International :
‘Wordsworth’s music has a particular sound (there are some similarities to the music of another contemporary, William Alwyn) and under the direction of John Gibbons, the Liepaja Symphony gets that just right. The strings especially provide the kind of granitic and particulate playing needed for this music. As I said above, these pieces provide plenty of solo passages and are all are ably performed by the members of the Liepaja orchestra. John Gibbons ably deals with Wordsworth’s many sudden rhythmic changes and always keeps things moving. […]
I hope that Toccata Classics will give us Volume Two soon. Wordsworth is an important composer whose music should be heard and there is no better way to assure this than for all his orchestral music to be available to listeners.’
—William Kreindler, MusicWeb International
MusicWeb International :
‘William Wordsworth was a composer with much to say and his music is well worth hearing. John Gibbons and the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra give accomplished and committed performances and I take off my hat to the versatility shown by the members of the orchestra, to whom this must surely have been completely unknown music. The recorded sound is fully satisfactory.’
—John Quinn, MusicWeb International
Gramophone :
‘These are sensitive and at times impassioned performances from Liepāja’s orchestra under John Gibbons.’
—Andrew Mellor, Gramophone
Guardian :
‘There’s certainly enough in their performances of these symphonies, and the two substantial fill-ups, the Divertimento in D Major Op 58 and the Variations on a Scottish ThemeOp 72, to make subsequent instalments in this Toccata series well worth following.’
—Andrew Clements, Guardian
Arcana.FM :
‘Does it all work?
Yes. Wordsworth may not be a difficult composer to assimilate, though his music does not reveal its essence easily or without some effort. That said, there is an underlying logic and cohesion to his formal processes which is as tangible as it is satisfying, with the emotional depth that emerges is similarly undeniable. It helps when the playing of the Latvian-based Liepāja Symphony Orchestra sounds so attuned to its reticent idiom, with John Gibbons clearly having thought about this music so that its measure might more fully be conveyed.
Is it recommended?
Indeed. The sound has clarity and focus, while Paul Conway’s annotations are detailed and probing.’
—William Wordsworth, Arcana.FM
Klassisk Mussik :
‘Liepāja Symphony Orchestra leverer solide, godt forberedte fremføringer av et repertoar som må ha virket svært fremmed for dem. […] Variations on a Scottish Theme, skrevet i 1962, året etter at Wordsworth hadde flyttet til Skottland, er den fineste fremførelsen av alle. Toccatas lyd er nydelig balansert og lager et svært underholdende og hørverdig program av ukjent musikk.’
English translation:
‘The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra deliver solid, well-prepared performances of a repertoire that must have seemed very foreign to them. […] The Variations on a Scottish Theme, written in 1962, the year after Wordsworth had moved to Scotland, is the finest performance of all. The sound of the Toccata is beautifully balanced and makes for a highly entertaining and listenable programme of unfamiliar music.’
—Guy Rickards, Klassisk Mussik