The sea - for orchestra

[eschiss1]

Fitelberg's symphonic poem From the Depths of the Sea (op.26) (a friend of Szymanowski, conductor/composer, member with him I believe of Young Poland..

This composer looks very interesting, but he's  sadly not very well represented on record (yet!). Is the above-mentioned work recorded, anyone? I know his symphonic poem "Song of the Falcon" is recorded, I've just heard a sample from jpc.de

A broadcast from 1999, but perhaps no commercial recording. (Apparently a Polish Radio broadcast, but BBC Radio 3 Through the Night has rebroadcast it e.g. late last year, Nov. 11 2009 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/euroclassicnotturno/playlist091111.shtml . The Polish title is W glebi morza.)
Eric

[Marcus]

Symphony no3 op36  The Sea (1950/52) by Finnish composer Kalervo Tuukkanen (1909-79)
This symphony features soprano,tenor & choir, and is in a neoclassic idiom. Tuukkanen was taught by Madetoja in the 1940's & 50's, and his influence is evident in the work.
It is in 4 mvts: Largo allegro 16'25", Intermezzo -allegro scherzo 3'26", Allegro moderato ma energico 9'54", Larghetto ma non troppo 3'39".
Included on the disc is the Violin concerto no2 op45 (1955)   (Finlandia #4509-98888-2)
A few more for the list : Wagenaar - Frithjof's Sea voyage op5, Eric Fogg(1903-39) -Sea Sheen (on Dutton #CDLX 7196), Klami - Sea Pictures, Elgar- Sea Pictures,  Scott Neptune-Poem of the Sea, Ibert - Symphonie marine, Escales, Ropartz - Pecheur d'Islande, (Timpani)Prelude marine et chansons, Lazzari - Tableaux maritimes, (Marco Polo #8.223853),Parry - Chivalry of the Sea, Lilian Elkington (1901-69) - Out of the Mist. (previous two works on Dutton #CDLX 7172)
Marcus.

[Marcus]

J.J.Abert (1832-1915) Symphony no4 in D "Columbus" is a sea portrait, with memorable themes. It is in 4 mvts:
Allegro - Impressions on Departure (10'32"), Scherzo - Seamans'life (4'19"), Adagio - Evening by the Sea (8'05", Finale- Happy owen,Rebellion, Storm, Land (12'46"). (Bayer BR 100-160-CD)
A few more :
George Lloyd -Symphony no4 "Arctic" (Albany/Troy #498)
P.Gaubert - Symphonic poem Les chants de la mer (Timpani #IC1135)
J.B.McEwen - A Solway Symphony  (3mvts- Allegro moderato -Spring Tide 11'51", Molto Tranquillo -Moonlight 12'04", Vivace -The Sou'west Wind 10'25"(Chandos #9345) an excellent atmospheric work.
Grace Williams - Sea Sketches for String Orchestra 1944 (Lyrita#SRCD 323)
J.Holbrooke - Symphony no3 - "Ships" (LP #OCA 328-I)
Peggy Glanville-Hicks - Sinfonia Pacifica  3mvts 12'34" (Vox Australis #VAST013-2)
David Golightly - Three Seascapes  9'25"(ASC#CS38)
Enescu -Vox Maris op31 24'39" (M/Polo#8.223142)
Zemlinsky - Die Seejungfrau Fantasy for Orchestra 3mvts. 38'51"
Marcus.

[John Hudock]

A few others I don't think have been mentioned yet:

Bridge 'The Sea'
Elgar 'Sea Pictures'
Rubenstein Symphony No 2 'Ocean'
Ravel 'Une Barque sur l'Ocean'
Bax 'On the Sea-Shore'
Bantock Hebridean Sea Poems (Caristiona, The Sea Reivers)
Bantock Hebridean Symphony
Flagello 'Sea Cliffs'
MacDowell 'Sea Pieces'
Hanson Symphony No 7 'A Sea Symphony'

and of course:
Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture
Beethoven 'Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage'

[chill319]

A couple of personal comments about the music in John's selection (no intended comment at all on the selection itself).  [Comments added as I'm not sure how familiar members may be with American composers.]

Hanson's Sea Symphony has always reminded me of VW 1, Junior.  At the time he wrote it, Hanson was retired from Eastman and listening almost obsessively to recordings of other composers' music because he knew his days were numbered. Touching and sad to me at the time.

MacDowell's Sea Pieces are psychological portraits rather than descriptive pieces. Very little sea spray in evidence. Being the student of Raff that he was, forests play the major role in his animistic art works.

[Ilja]

I should, of course, mention two of my compatriots who wrote orchestral pieces about the sea: Cornelis Dopper's 'Zuiderzee' symphony no. 7 (about what is nowadays a lake, but was a sea back in 1917) and Peter van Anrooy's 'Piet Hein Rapsodie' from 1901, about a Dutch buccaneer from the 17th century (either a pirate or a hero, depending where you stand).

[DennisS]

Another suggestion - Gosta Nystrom "Sinfonia Del Mare" - very interesting work, repays several listens!

Dennis

[monafam]

Again...this is why I love this place (although there is so much music and so little time)!   I've got the Glazunov and Hadley ones, which are both great, but looks like a lot more to listen too.

[wunderkind]

This is turning into a great list of sea-music!
Just a few comments/questions to your suggestions:

The Ciurlionis tone poem is also recorded by Marco Polo, and seems to be the easiest to get hold of. Is it a recommended one?

Guy Ropartz - How are those symphonies of his recorded by Timpani? Comparable to Jean Cras?

I highly recommend the Ciurlionis work.  The opening bars - the first two minutes or so - are magical.  This is a gorgeous depiction of the sea.  Don't miss it.

Ropartz' symphonies also are not-to-be-missed.  They evoke his native Brittany in almost every measure and are some of the most unjustly unsung orchestral works I know.  Ropartz refused to follow his contemporaries into discordant writing and therefore was relegated to the back burner.  What a shame!

 The Ropartz Third Symphony has not, yet, been recorded by Timpani.  I assume this is because of the large forces required - including four vocal soloists and a huge choir.  Michel Plasson did it on EMI - perhaps the only extant recording on CD?  Anyway, the work is mesmerizing - it is Ropartz' testimony to nature, life and humanity.  It can stand next to Mahler's Second and reaches, for me, the emotions of the Sibelius Fifth - high praise, indeed.

[M. Henriksen]

Thanks! I thought no one ever were to answer those questions. In the meantime I have bought the Ropartz symphonies except no. 3. So now I just have to find the time to listen to them.. The Plasson recording is unfortunately not easy to get hold of to a sensible price, I hope Timpani will record it in the near future.

Morten

[Albion]

The Plasson recording is unfortunately not easy to get hold of to a sensible price, I hope Timpani will record it in the near future.

As with many deletions, the Plasson recording is available - from Archiv. This is an excellent initiative which ensures that 'hard copies' of recordings (not downloads) can still be obtained at a reasonable price, and they ship worldwide:

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=10323&name_role1=1&bcorder=1&comp_id=243094

[TerraEpon]

This is an excellent initiative which ensures that 'hard copies' of recordings (not downloads) can still be obtained at a reasonable price, and they ship worldwide:

Emphasis on the 'copy'...

[Albion]

Emphasis on the 'copy'...

It should be emphasised that these are properly licensed, not bootleg, discs. Unless you have a fetish for owning original releases, then I can see no problem with a sonically-identical CD with liner notes supplied at a reasonable price. It's either that or search amazon and ebay, and whilst you're at it apply for a second mortgage.

Is the compact disc itself truly the iconic object, and is the provenance really more important than the music it contains?

[Alan Howe]

Arkiv's re-release programme is a hugely important initiative - and the products themselves are excellent. I use this service regularly (e.g. I have just ordered Schreker's Die Gezeichneten as a result of a recommendation in the Schreker thread). Highly recommended!

[giles.enders]

Or, you could sit on a beach and hear a live performance.