Richard Flury: Orchestral Music Vol. 4

[Tapiola]

On May 2nd:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9764596--richard-flury-orchestral-music-vol-4

Content:

Symphony No. 2 'Ticino Symphony'
Poème Nocturne

[Alan Howe]

Symphony No. 2 'Ticino Symphony'

Also known as his 'Tessiner' Symphony (Wikipedia), Tessin being the German for Ticino, the southernmost canton of Switzerland.

[Alan Howe]

Audio excerpts now available - link, as above:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9764596--richard-flury-orchestral-music-vol-4

[Alan Howe]

Now, this Symphony, written (extraordinarily) in 1936, is a real gift to the senses after the disappointment of Koechlin's 1st. What we have here is 48½ minutes of truly gorgeous, rich, late-romantic symphonic writing given a stunningly committed performance by the BBCSO under Paul Mann.

Kudos to Martin Anderson!

[eschiss1]

The most recent Flury release on Toccata before this, I see, was a comic opera from the very next year. I admire (I do not want to say envy ) the dedication!

[Alan Howe]

Oh, yes - the idiom: an attractive amalgam of Strauss (Richard)/late Bruckner/Joseph Marx. Very toothsome.

[Mark Thomas]

an attractive amalgam of Strauss (Richard)/late Bruckner/Joseph Marx

That's absolutely spot on, but the Bruckner influence is (mercifully) the least prominent and Flury's scores are less rambling than anything of Marx's that I've come across. The Ticino Symphony is a particularly sunny score, with the darker passages which often punctuate Flury's scores largely absent, despite the work having been prompted by his family leaving him and moving to Ticino. Eric mentioned the operas which have also been released by Toccata, and they too are well worth exploring

[Alan Howe]

the Bruckner influence is (mercifully) the least prominent

Agreed: I only really noticed it in the Scherzo.

[Tapiola]

The Symphony is almost like a concerto for cymbals and orchestra. The use of that percussion instrument in that piece is obnoxious big time, and it's a shame because the material of the symphony sounds interesting and well argued, but the excessive use of the cymbals ruined all the experience. The Poème nocturne managed to be more interesting, albeit it doesn't sound particularly "nocturne" to me.

[Alan Howe]

The Poème is an absolute riot. If you think mature Strauss goes over the top, you should give this a go! Wow!

[Alan Howe]

the excessive use of the cymbals

Yes, there's rather a lot; but I was revelling in the overall luxuriance of the writing. Probably lost my objectivity!

[Mark Thomas]

I could have done without the cymbals too, but it's only a minor irritation in an otherwise enjoyable score.