Simpson: Symphony Nos. 6 & 7

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
These are two of the most extraordinary British symphonies to emerge since the Second World War. Simpson (b. 1921) tends to build his ideas as musical cells, but one will be motile, while the other is static. He will combine these and then let them evolve. It only seems atonal, but it isn't. Simpson lets the music emerge or submerge when it wants to. You can hear hints of Sibelius's moodiness, but beyond Sibelius, you won't be able to identify anybody other than Simpson. Hyperion is releasing all of Simpson's symphonies as well as his string quartets. Start here with these masterpieces. --Paul Cook

Tracks:

l. Kyrie - David Gordon
ll. Gloria - David Gordon
lll. Credo - David Gordon
lV. Sanctus - David Gordon
V. Benedictus - David Gordon
Vl. Agnus Dei - David Gordon
l. Kyrie - Glenn Siebert
ll. Gloria - Glenn Siebert
lll. Credo - Glenn Siebert
lV. Sanctus - Glenn Siebert
V. Benedictus - Glenn Siebert
Vl. Agnus Dei - Glenn Siebert

Customer Reviews:

Schubert Masses Nos. 2 & 6.......2007-03-11

This is an excellent recording and I am very pleased to have it.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-18

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was raised a Roman Catholic in Vienna, and as a clear-voiced choir boy and violinist, he became acquainted with the works of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, who was his favorite composer.
Among Schubert's vocal works are many with religious texts, most intended for service use. The majority of these, including his first 5 Mass settings, were written for specific occasions and received performances soon after being completed, but this was not the case with his Sixth Mass, which lay unperformed until a year after his death.
In his settings of the mass, Schubert took Romantic liberties, omitting words, repeating words,or even entire paragraphs, thus treating the text not as unchangeable doctrine, but as a flexable libretto to be subservient to his artistic needs. His setting made significant omissions in the Gloria and Credo texts. Some sentences are omitted in all six of his masses, leading to speculation that he dissented from such teachings as the Church's divine authority.

The G major Mass was composed in 1815, and is simple and tuneful, direct and innocent in its idiom. He wrote it in 6 days; it is a small-scaled work accompanied by strings and organ.

The Mass in E-flat major is the product of that remarkable surge of new music that Schubert produced in his final year. Musically it has two aspects: it follows traditional practise in overall shape and construction. However, we encounter, in its harmonic language, Schubert, the Romantic ,using daring chromatic digressions and frankly pictorial writing with telling dramatic effect. This is basically a choral mass, and the soloists are used sparingly.

The performance of the soloists is excellent, and who but a Robert Shaw could bring out the best of the Chorus and Orchestra? Shaw was such a genius in the art of choral performance, but fortunately for us, he left much of his work behind on several recordings. While I enjoy both of these Masses, my preference still leans to the g major. probably because of its more traditional sound.

YES!.......2003-04-17

This is THE recording of Mass # 2 to get!! # 6 is VERY nice as well. Over all a beautiful and unsurpassed recording.

This is a Must Have choral CD!.......2002-04-22

I am ashamed to admit that I do not listen to this recording as often as it deserves to be heard. If the Lord has ears to hear with, then Schubert can be assured a place in the highest echelons of Heaven for having written such music. His Kyrie in Mass No. 2 drips with lyrical beauty. The Sanctus will take your breath away with its forceful simplicity. The Agnus Dei is a prayer on par with Faure's Pie Jesu for sheer, pure beauty. Highlights of the Mass No. 6 include the grandiose, Beethoven-esque Gloria and the gentle Benedictus. Shaw is absolutely in his element directing the Atlanta Chorus through their lush phrases and delicate melodies. The balance between chorus and orchestra is precise and the excellent sound quality can be best described as clear & present. A great selection of Masses for your collection.

Schubert Mass in G Robert Shaw w/ Atlanta Symphony Orch........2001-11-04

I love this CD. It is an exquisite rendition of Schubert's wonderful music. I am performing this with my choir, and have been looking for a different presentation to hear the contrasts in interpretation.

I highly recommend this beautiful audio CD to anyone who loves good classical music.

Simpson: Symphony Nos. 6 & 7
Average customer rating:

Two symphonies, so contrasting and yet typical for Simpson

Two one-movement symphonies

Simpson: Symphony Nos. 6 & 7

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Robert Simpson: Symphony No. 10

Robert Simpson: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4

Robert Simpson: Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 5

Robert Simpson: Symphony No. 11; Variations on a Theme by Carl Nielsen

Robert Simpson: Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 8

ASIN: B000002ZKG
Release Date: 1993-04-19

Tracks:

Symphony No 6-1977 (1)
Symphony No 6-1977 (2)
Symphony No 6-1977 (4)
Symphony No 6-1977 (4)
Symphony No 6-1977 (5)
Symphony No 6-1977 (6)
Symphony No 6-1977 (7)
Symphony No 6-1977 (8)
Symphony No 6-1977 (9)
Symphony No 6-1977 (10)
Symphony No 6-1977 (11)
Symphony No 6-1977 (12)
Symphony No 7-1977 (13)
Symphony No 7-1977 (14)
Symphony No 7-1977 (15)
Symphony No 7-1977 (16)
Symphony No 7-1977 (17)
Symphony No 7-1977 (18)
Symphony No 7-1977 (19)
Symphony No 7-1977 (20)
Symphony No 7-1977 (21)
Symphony No 7-1977 (22)
Symphony No 7-1977 (23)

Amazon.com

These are two of the most extraordinary British symphonies to emerge since the Second World War. Simpson (b. 1921) tends to build his ideas as musical cells, but one will be motile, while the other is static. He will combine these and then let them evolve. It only seems atonal, but it isn't. Simpson lets the music emerge or submerge when it wants to. You can hear hints of Sibelius's moodiness, but beyond Sibelius, you won't be able to identify anybody other than Simpson. Hyperion is releasing all of Simpson's symphonies as well as his string quartets. Start here with these masterpieces. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Two symphonies, so contrasting and yet typical for Simpson.......2004-03-05

When I first listen to this CD, I was surprised. How can a composer write two so different symphonies and yet they are so typical for Simpson's musical language? That really amazed me as both symphonies are masterpieces in their own way.
Simpson's sixth symphony is perhaps (at least to me) its finest achivement in the orchestral media by this composer. A single, 28-minute movement does not have a slow movement. Not only that, nearly the entire symphony is in the same tempo, which makes it more unique; the contrasts are only in the expression. Another thing is the tonally simple organisation of twelve-tone system (an opening theme is using a pairing of minor third and perfect fifth, which would suggest the influence of Lutos³awski, but the sound is completely different). Although there are some similarities with Shostakovich, especially in the orchestration, Simpson has really written a great work, which is one of true masterpieces of late 20th century.
The seventh symphony has left me a bit confused; what a difference! What was Simpson thinking? Its contemplative atmosphere and a bit rude, elemental sound with relatively small orchestra (a 2, typical for Mozart), centred around tone C sharp with many interesting sonic placings of winds in high pitches makes the symphony unique in another aspect. Not in the terms of traditional movement form (it is the single movement as the sixth), but in the aspect of psychological approach towards the content.
Vernon Handley is a fenomenal conductor; while he's not much famous conductor in the world, he is certainly a master conductor for large scale symphonies like of Mahler, Bruckner and Shostakovich. And Simpson's symphonies rightfully join these masters of symphonic writting. The recordings are awesome, thrilling and powerful. Highly recommended.

Two one-movement symphonies.......2001-01-10

Simpson's sixth and seventh symphonies were both written in 1977 and are in single movements.

The sixth, in two parts, is founded on the concept proposed by Carl Nielsen that music is the sound of life, and the whole symphony is based on two tiny musical cells. These seems to grow naturally and inevitably into a mature structure culminating in a thrilling chord.

The seventh, in three sections, is based on a tight harmonic structure. However, as Simpson himself said, "it doesn't matter if you can't tell a fifth from a rissole", and listeners untrained in the intricacies of harmony will have no trouble following the musical argument, carried along by the exciting and powerful sounds.

As with the other discs in the Hyperion cycle of Simpson symphonies, Handley and the RLPO play excellently an the recording quality is extemely good.

Track Listings: