If you live in the UK it will not have escaped your notice that the weather is shifting away from summer and into autumn. That change has already taken place with marked effect in Scotland of course, but now London and the south (where Arcana is based!) are caught up in the wind and the rain.
Autumn does, of course, inspire a great deal of creativity as composers and songwriters respond to the season – and this rather charming early piece by Grieg is one such example, the concert overture In Autumn Op.11, published in 1865. Here it is conducted by Neeme Järvi:
A generous 4-CD compilation from Cherry Red, billed as a celebration of the Madchester / baggy scene and the Indie-dance crossover.
If you were anywhere near Radio 1 or even Radio 5 in the early 1990s you will have known about the influence this scene had on the singles charts, but Cherry Red are looking at it from the perspective of the clubs. With that in mind the tracks here are presented unmixed and mostly in 12″ form.
What’sthemusiclike?
This is a buoyant collection to raise many smiles among listeners who were there at the time…but will surely serve as the ideal way in to the curious first-timers.
The big hits take care of themselves – Happy Mondays‘ StepOn, TheCharlatans‘ IndianRope and Stone Roses‘ FoolsGold are pure Manchester gold. That’s before you consider InspiralCarpets, James (via the mixing desk of Andrew Weatherall) and Primal Scream (via Terry Farley)
That the scene crossed over to Ibiza is clear from the inclusion of 808 State‘s PacificState and TheBeloved’sThe Sun Rising. Shoegaze classics abound too, from Chapterhouse and Spacemen3 – or leaner, more direct efforts from the likes of Carter USM and PopWillEatItself.
While it’s great to have the well known classics, the bubbles from beneath the surface are even more valuable. Lesser known names such as Paris Angels, TheWendys, SinisterGroove and NewFastAutomaticDaffodils prove their worth too.
Does it all work?
It does – and the breadth of styles means that this is a collection to dip into over and over again. It also has the added value of putting overplayed radio hits back in their best context. TheMockTurtles‘ CanYouDigIt?is a prime example!
Is it recommended?
Wholeheartedly. As a snapshot of a euphoric time in British music history, ComeTogether works an absolute treat.
The latest addition to the English Symphony Orchestra library of online music is the first performance of Philip Sawyers‘ major choral work, Mayflower on the Sea of Time.
With its ‘luminous and ecstatic choruses’ picked out by Richard Whitehouse in his review of the initial concert, this is an affirmative and major piece by one of the finest contemporary English composers.
Soprano April Fredrick and baritone Thomas Humphreys are joined by the ESOChorus and English Symphony Orchestra in the premiere from Worcester Cathedral, given on 17 June this year.
With the release of Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer last Friday, it is worth noting that opera also has its own high quality biopic of the scientist.
John Adams wrote Doctor Atomic in 2005 to a libretto by Peter Sellars. It is a compelling tale, bolstered by some of the composer’s best music.
The Metropolitan Opera have made their Penny Woolcock production available online, and you can view it here… it is highly recommended!
With the arrival of July 1st, here are two very different musical responses to the month. The first is an extract from Tchaikovsky’s popular cycle for piano, The Seasons – designating July to be The Song of the Reaper:
Then, with the weather here in the UK having been a little downcast this morning, a very different response from Bomb The Bass. Winter In July is a wonderfully moody song, with vocals from Loretta Haywood. It could only be from the early 1990s!
Arcana.fm 