It is the middle movement (of three) which breaks into a cinematic climax, with a gloriously broad tune. These are sometimes the moments one lives for in a Lloyd symphony.
The concluding movement is notable for its brass fanfares. Akin to the opening, scrips and scraps come and go quickly without really settling on anything in particular, although its manic feel lightens the mood some.
I like George Lloyd's early symphonies, yet his Third Symphony is perhaps my least favorite of the trio. Perhaps time will endear me to it better overall, as I do enjoy many of its moments.
Charade, a six-movement orchestral suite subtitled Scenes from the '60s, seems a title more apt for US composer Michael Daugherty, who attaches pop-culture kitsch to his brand of orchestral composing. Lloyd's grand, symphonic style sounds anachronistic to the subject at hand, although perhaps that is the point.
The movement titles all have fun names, such as LSD and Flying Saucers, although I am hard pressed to be reminded of their subjects here. Case in point, the fifth movement, Pop Songs, sounds like it belongs in a suite about a British motorway or railway station rather than a caricature of the 60s. The political satire of Student Power and Party Politics seems better suited to Lloyd's style, where the composer isn't afraid to inject some dissonance, also showing this work as a much later entry compared to Symphony no. 3.
I think I am limited by my own stereotypical knowledge of the 60s to appreciate Lloyd's tongue-in-cheek orchestral setting, for his musical language is lost on me here. Enjoyable, but not a favorite of mine.
Works
Symphony 3 in F (23.34)
Charade (32.48)
Performers
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
George Lloyd, conductor
Label: Albany
Year: 1992
Find more Lloyd recordings HERE!
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