Goossens... Take Two!

 

Let's stick with the first.

I will show my hand early and share on the record, 'I received little joy from this recording'.

In Volume 1 (BLOG), I found Goossens' Symphony no. 1 splendid, but the Phantasy Concerto for piano not for me at all.

Here, on Chandos' final Volume 3, at least for this listener, there is little to love altogether.

Both works are gloomy, that is for sure. Both works employ dissonant modernism rooted in tonality. Both feature sparse identifiable thematic ideas to carry me through either work. Both are performed excellently!

Goossens' second Phantasy Concerto, here for violin, has the solo instrument burbling along unendingly. While Tasmin Little does her usual fine playing, I can't say the solo violin role particularly elevates this four-movement work.

Symphony no. 2 is more colorful from an orchestration point of view, adding an array of percussion. I hear very little of what I enjoyed from Goossens' First Symphony though, with a general feeling of exhaustive modernism. Not forbidding, yet not appealing, although the third movement Scherzo offers some contrast.

I am going to keep this short, but listeners with tougher musical skin than I may enjoy this sort of thing. I can't fault the performers, for they seem to play this music with great skill. Chandos' sound is typically full and warm, if not a touch too billowy, as is their wont.

 

Listen on YouTube

 

 

 

 

Works
Symphony 2, op. 62 (28.44)
Phantasy Concerto, op. 63 (39.28)

Soloists
Tasmin Little, violin

Performers
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 2020
Total Timing: 68.21

 

 

 

 

 

If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Personally, I would throw this one to The Kraken.

Yet, since these performances are excellently played, there might be an audience of thicker-skinned listeners out there somewhere. Not me, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Goossens recordings HERE!