I just heard this amazing violin concerto by the late John Jeffreys; a work, despite the date [1951] fits well into the confines of this forum - in the tradition of Moeran and Finzi... has a beautiful English pastoral feel to it.
(https://i.ibb.co/LhShxwCx/Cover-1-Copy.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8734547--jeffreys-violin-concerto-the-fox?srsltid=AfmBOoom4IegTZ-CNipcxlx9Wt9rjQZiQbYbKKMijPjtM4bvT2uFg7em (https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8734547--jeffreys-violin-concerto-the-fox?srsltid=AfmBOoom4IegTZ-CNipcxlx9Wt9rjQZiQbYbKKMijPjtM4bvT2uFg7em)
Lawrence Jackson (violin), Orchestra da Camera, Kenneth PageThere's also an unreleased? recording of this concerto on youtube - Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay (violin), The Philharmonia Orchestra, Paul Bateman.
Any thoughts...?
Beautiful music. I found the introduction by Paul Bateman (the conductor) very moving too.
Here's a quote from Goodmusic who publish some of his music:
"......However, the avant-garde-obsessed British musical establishment of the time would not give encouragement to a composer with lyrical gifts and a penetrating insight into English poetry, and John destroyed a great deal of his own writing. Fortunately, some was preserved by accident or on tape and has since been resurrected and recorded, including a fine violin concerto written for his wife, Pauline."
A lot of very fine music was walked over during this period - much of it is now lost, probably for ever.
I wonder if reviewers will ever realize that to raise one by attacking another generally leaves a sour taste in their readers who enjoy both?
I don't think the reviewer attacked avant garde music; more an observation that at the time this was premiered, avant garde music preferred by the "establishment". In any case, critics are a curious lot that manage to offend someone or the other and well rounded critics are far too few. In the end let the music speak for itself.
The problem was more that after about 1950, the creation of new "art music" was entirely appropriated by academic culture and hence became dissociated from audiences. As Alex Ross's The Rest is Noise emphasizes, this was also responsible for the uber-authoritary attitude of the likes of Boulez et al. in pushing a very specific direction. Although Ross doesn't talk much about it, my feeling has been that this was an implicit bi-lateral agreement. The impresariat and their performers were generally fine with keeping to a very limited and increasingly ossified iron repertory of a handful of works while repertoire innovation could be left to others.
It's tempting to draw comparisons between Jeffreys' music, and that of Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski. They're quite similar in that they seem to inhabit the "romantic spirit", to quote Schmidt-Kowalski, but are still clearly identifiable as 20th century composers - very different from the impression left by pre-dénouement Hans Franke, for instance. Although the concerto and the serenade sound much more classically romantic than The Fox, which seems to dive almost into Britten territory. A very fine recording.
Quote from: eschiss1 on Friday 06 February 2026, 13:48I wonder if reviewers will ever realize that to raise one by attacking another generally leaves a sour taste in their readers who enjoy both?
This is exactly what I thought but did not know to express myself. Thanks, Eric! 🙂