Parry: Symphonies

 

Sir Hubert Parry composed five symphonies, mostly set in an Austro-German late-Romantic style. Thick, surging strings and pastoral wind doublings are par for the course, as are woodsy horns and heroic conclusions.

Personally, I found Parry's musical style quite fetching, and at times, rather exciting. If I favor the first two symphonies, I think it is a matter of the lack of compositional growth on the part of the composer. Once you have heard his first symphonic statement, you will simply get more of the same in the later symphonies.

The odd duck of the group is Symphony no. 3 in C Major, subtitled the 'English'. Here, Parry clears out the late-Romantic chromaticism for a clear-eyed throwback to the Classical Era. In this way, the Third Symphony is probably the most 'British' sounding of the quintet. I was initially taken aback by the unique difference of the work, but now I think I appreciate Parry doing something completely different compared to his other symphonies.

This 3CD set also includes Parry's Symphonic Variations, perhaps the composer's finest, most inspired orchestral work. I didn't listen to it this go around since I have another CD release of it from this exact same performance with these exact same performers, thus I will cover it later (BLOG). Here, it is paired with the composer's First Symphony in order to fill out the set timing wise.

Surprisingly, few have trod Parry's symphonies on record. William Boughton recorded Symphony no. 1 on Nimbus, Andrew Penny covered Symphony no. 2 on Naxos, and Sir Adrian Boult and Vassily Sinaisky both performed Symphony no. 5, the former with this same symphony orchestra a decade or so earlier. Rumon Gamba provides the original version of Symphony no. 4, also on Chandos, but is more complementary than it is a rival recording. I am surprised someone like David-Lloyd Jones hadn't offered a competing set on Naxos, for he was a champion of British symphonies and a clear rival to the Chandos label in terms of British symphony sets.

Thus, Matthias Bamert and the London Philharmonic Orchestra have the field all to themselves as far as Parry's complete symphonies are concerned. These were recorded at St. Jude's-on-the-Hill, so listeners will hear the acoustic of that church in these performances. It makes the LPO sound big and grandiose, but can be a bit of a soupy mess depending on your listening set-up. I find the acoustic fits the sweeping late-Romantic style of Hubert Parry's symphonies very well, although I had a better experience on headphones compared to speakers.

These symphonies are worth the effort if you enjoy that post-Brahms-ian late-Romantic model, performed excellently by Bamert and the LPO, even if the acoustic is a tad swimmy. Try out Parry's Third Symphony for something different from the rest, although this quintet of symphonies elevated Hubert Parry in my eyes, at least to some degree.

 

 

 

Works
Vol. 1: Symphony 1 & SV (56.52)
Vol. 2: Symphony 2 & 3 (72.26)
Vol. 3: Symphony 4 & 5 (68.44)

Ensembles
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Matthias Bamert, conductor

Year: 1990-91; 1992
Label: Chandos
Total Timing: 3.18.02

A fine set of symphonies from a late-19th-Century British composer.

With the exception of Parry's middle symphony, these are all written in a late-Romantic idiom, heavily influenced by Schumann, Brahms, and Wagner.

Chandos' 3CD set is the only place to get them all, although there are individual recordings here and there.

Find more Parry recordings HERE!