Edmund Rubbra - Symphony No. 6, op. 80, 2nd mvt. (Hickox)

Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986), UK

Symphony No. 6, op. 80 (1953-4), II. Canto: Largo e sereno
Recorded in 1996 by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Conducted by Richard Hickox

[Prefaced by a quote from the great Italian Romantic poet Giacomo Leopardi:
"Sempre caro mi fu quest'ermo colle,
E questa siepe, che da tanta parte
Dell'ultimo orizzonte il guardo esclude."
(Always was this lonely hill dear to me, / And this hedge which shuts out / So much of the distant horizon.)]

One of the most beautiful and mystical symphonic movements by Rubbra. Note the opening fifths in the horns, the solo clarinet plunging into the arms of warm divisi cellos, the simple violin solo, the ra-ta-ta summons of the timpani at the climax, and then the restoration of the calm strings-and-horns sound. And bear in mind what immediately follows the Leopardi lines Rubbra quotes:
"But as I sit and gaze, my thought conceives / Interminable vastnesses
of space / Beyond it, and unearthly silences, / And profoundest calm."...

The photos (by a friend of mine) are of the serene and heavenly quiet Croatian island of Mljet, one of our more impressive seascapes, in summer 2008. It is also a national park.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• edmund
• rubbra
• symphony
• 2nd
• movement
• largo
• sereno
• hickox
• mljet
• croatian
• coast

[songsmith31a]

@Astron278...

Do you know the symphonic cycle** of the late Cornish composer George Lloyd?

You can find an extract from his 6th symphony on YouTube. I believe it** to be

equal to anything written here in the 20th century and better than most. His

"Symphonic Mass" was described by Gramophone as "One of the finest pieces

of English choral writing of the 20th century". And in my own view, his haunting

cello concerto is the perfect companion to the Elgar work for the same instrument.

[Astron278]

@songsmith31a Well, now that you've turned my attention to it, I became aware of it, and thank you! I do like it and I'm again rather astonished how little known the man's work is. But as with Rubbra, the music asks for attention and repeated listening, and sadly though understandably, that's how a composer does not charm the general public. I guess a good part of classical music will indeed stay in the domain of a particular elite, but somehow positively so. For lack of a better expression.

[songsmith31a]

Evocative and mystical - with some attractive "by the water illustrations to add to the sense of "other-worldliness". Another underperformed 20th century British composer.

[Astron278]

@songsmith31a I am glad that you like it! And I agree totally that Rubbra has been neglected, while his symphonic cycle is, in my opinion, among the three or four most satisfying in all British music.

[cbreemer]

Ahh... this is so AWESOMELY beautiful !

[songsmith31a]

@Astron278...

It was Lloyd's misfortune to have served in time of war when others later

favoured by the BBC did not , and when he returned to composing after recovering

from the trauma of his experiences on Russian convoy duty - his ship was hit by

a rogue torpedo which ruptured the fuel tanks and drowned most of his Royal

Marine comrades in oil - he found himself out of favour with an "atonal" BBC.

Even now, 13 years after his death, his uplifting music is unheard at the Proms.