In Ireland

Harty's An Irish Symphony may be the composer's masterpiece. He certainly handles large-scale structures well, and it is a shame he didn't do it more often.

There is a nice assortment of cheekiness, heroism, and general Irish merriment here. I was completely unfamiliar with the poetry of Emily Lawless and the history behind the Wild Geese. Her collection can be found in its entirety here.

Otherwise, there is a treasure-trove to enjoy in this recording; it is by far my favorite of the 3-disc set. 

A review from 2023

Irish conductor/composer Hamilton Harty fully immerses himself into the sound world of the Emerald Isle, shamelessly using Irish tunes with a wink and a smile. From lightweight comedy to July 12th battles, Harty shows himself as a strong composer for orchestra.

The Irish Symphony might be my favorite of Harty’s works. Not only can he borrow and create wonderful tunes, but his structures and orchestration are standouts. On a smaller scale, In Ireland for flute, harp, and orchestra follow his Gaelic tendencies, and even the Comedy Overture has scotch snaps and drones to generate smiles.

With the Wild Geese is rather different; following an Irish army into battle is both heroic sounding and heartfelt. This is Harty’s gift as a composer; orchestrating for listener variety and unique storytelling through music.

Hamilton Harty’s music is pretty rare to hear, but this collection has been covered by Naxos as well. Since this recording has been collected with Harty’s concertos and other orchestral works on Chandos, that is the place to get it all. But this single set is probably the best, among a strong trio of recordings.

Listen on YouTube

Works
A Comedy Overture (14.12)
An Irish Symphony (33.59)
In Ireland (9.14)
With the Wild Geese (20.11)

Ensemble
Ulster Orchestra
Bryden Thomson, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 1996
Total Timing: 78.01

 

If I could have one Harty recording, this would be it.

Is Harty essential in the scheme of life? Perhaps not, but the more the merrier in my opinion.

Find more Harty recordings HERE!