(Even) lesser known works of Frederic Cliffe

[Ilja]

I've had this recording for some time, and as much as I applaud the late Chris Fifield for his efforts in resurrecting this piece, I also have to admit that after having listened to it I was sorely disappointed. Firstly because as a piece of music it doesn't come anywhere close to Cliffe's excellent and very atractive C minor First Symphony. The invention and inspiration that lifted its predecessor just aren't there, and that makes its full hour (15 minutes more than the first) a slog to get through. It doesn't help that it is played at an absolutely glacial pace by the Lambeth Orchestra, an amateur ensemble that sounds as though it's bitten off a bit more than it could chew.

[terry martyn]

We are going to lock horns on this one,Ilja.

Granted that it is an amateur orchestra,and no doubt a professional orchestra would have sounded a lot more polished, I would far rather have the CD than not.  I have debated elsewhere with Alan that ,in my opinion,this is the finest British symphony between Sullivan and Elgar, a considerable piece of work- ,sonorous,profound,and with memorable themes.

Maybe our difference of opinion will lead some interested colleagues to try and obtain one of the few remaining CDs from Dr Fifield's executors - I totally agree with Eric that the pirated upload does nothing but a disservice to Dr Fifield's memory.

[eschiss1]

Between 1866 and 1908- ok, that's quite a span, but not having heard the work yet, I can't yet comment.

[Ilja]

[...] I have debated elsewhere with Alan that ,in my opinion,this is the finest British symphony between Sullivan and Elgar, a considerable piece of work- ,sonorous,profound,and with memorable themes.

I prefer to avoid absolute statements when it comes to music, because although I do believe we can risk a very limited number of assertions about quality (and even there...) after that it's pretty much down to individual preference and taste. For that reason alone, I'm wary to describe any work as "best" of anything.

Valuation obviously also depends on what one values in such a work. For me, in the category of "English symphonies between Sullivan and Elgar", Cliffe's 2nd lacks the variation or the fluidity to rate it as an equal to contemporary English symphonies such as, for instance, Parry's "English", German's "Norwich" or Cliffe's own C minor. In addition, it's simply much too long. The end result is something that feels self-indulgent and is cast into a form that is far too ambitious for its material.

As an experiment, I sped up to 15-20%, which I think takes away some (but not all) of the performance's issues and gives it a fairer chance.

[terry martyn]

I was speaking for myself, of course, although it is plain that Dr Fifield himself rated the work very highly, and the private recording he made (with the help of certain Forum members) was in part to celebrate his 70th birthday.

I don't.of course, know whether his wife or some other relative now holds the handful of CDs which were still available for sale when I approached him, but I would imagine that there are some amongst us who are enterprising enough to find out.

By the way, Cliffe's Coronation March is also on that CD, and I think it's a pretty good representative of its genre. I have just looked up Rob Barnett's review of the CD on Musicweb, and he tends to agree.

[irs101]

Well.....it happened. On Sunday, for the first time in over 100 years, around 100 people gathered to listen to a concert of songs by Frederic Cliffe.

Singers: Lucy Wormsley, Lucy Scriven, Fiona Smyth, Ian Smyth
Piano: Robert Sudall and Ian Smyth

Programme:

• 10 songs by Frederic Cliffe
• Spring Sorrow, Sea Fever and When I Am Dead by John Ireland
• Over the Mountain High and The Nightingale by Fredrick Delius
• Piano pieces - Daydream by Ireland, and First Cuckoo in Spring by Delius

 
Plus short talks about Cliffe covering:

• His early life
• His career and rise to fame
• His students - Benjamin and Ireland
• His other works
• His music at the Proms
• His examining career
• His son, Cedric Cliffe
• Memories of Cliffe

Next steps....finish engraving all the songs and get them on IMSLP