Product description Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Tony Rowe - William Henry Fry - Santa Claus Symphony - CD Review The name of William Henry Fry (1813-64) appears as a a brief footnote in the annals of American music the first native-born American to write for large symphonic forces, the first to write a grand opera (Leonora, 1845, reportedly a flabby imitation of Bellini), the first American music critic for a major newspaper, and the first (vociferous) champion of native American music. Surely such a figure should at the very least command some interest. This release is the first opportunity anyone has ever had of hearing his music on disc, ipso facto a valuable exercise for which Naxos should be heartily congratulated. But the music and the playing make it much more than a mere archaeological dig. Fry emerges as kind of symphonic Gottschalk, with little reliance on counterpoint or interest in formal Classical structures, but with a colourful awareness of the orchestra and its dramatic potential. The results may not be profound or visionary, but they are expertly and imaginatively scored, endearing, and even moving at times. The Santa Claus Symphony (more accurately, an orchestral fantasy), lasting over 26 minutes, is an unbroken sequence of musical tableaux. It depicts the announcement of the Saviour's birth, a Christmas Eve party, the sleep that follows (with Rock-a-bye-baby on the soprano saxophone the first use of the instrument in a symphonic setting), a snow storm with a rare solo for the double-bass and some demanding passages for the strings and woodwind, the joyful arrival of Santa, and then the familiar strains of Adeste fideles, the tune which concludes the work in a hymn of praise.The Macbeth Overture (1864) is a surprisingly good-natured affair, its attractive principal theme dangerously close to a Moody & Sankey hymn tune. There is little hint of the supernatural, of Shakespeare's evil protagonists or the play's dark overtones. Niagara, composed in 1854 for one of P. T. Barnum's Monster Concerts, provides the most striking musical mimicry of a colossal waterfall I have ever heard, realized by 11 thunderous timpani and much energetic scale passagework from the strings and woodwind sections an engaging piece of extravagant kitsch. The Breaking Heart is the orchestral equivalent of Gottschalk's The Last Hope, a sentimental melodrama with some lovely writing for the solo flute. Here, as elsewhere, Tony Rowe is in firm control of proceedings, while allowing the expressive RSNO to play the music for all it is worth, giving every impression of having a thoroughly good time. Some will doubtless dismiss Fry as too jejune and frivolous for words. I can only say that I enjoyed it all hugely and if the disc doesn't provoke concert performances of the Santa Claus and Niagara Symphonies during this year's seasonal festivities, then Father Christmas simply doesn't exist. Jeremy Nicholas -- From International Record Review - subscribe now
M**A
Five Stars
Thank you
R**Z
The first captured sounds of Niagara Falls!
This was an exceptional listening experience. For pre Civil War music there is none of the datedness of Steven Foster, and by that I mean only that Foster has a certain sound that we readily associate with his times.The Santa Claus Symphony is pretty much a half hour tone poem depicting the Christmas season and it does so splendidly enough to perfectly capture the Holiday spirit of things, sleigh ride and all.Overture to MacBeth and The Breaking Heart sound more modern than they actually are, but for me the real thrill here was listening to what was probably the first capture in sound of what Niagara Falls was all about, the rush and cascading of water, the force of nature to be reckoned with, a picture perfect (musical) postcard before any such thing was available.A valuable addition to any classical music collection.
C**G
A true revelation
Wonderful and compelling music! I bought this CD for these holidays andhave to say that i'm happy to get it. Fry seems to me as a great orchestralpainter and creator of wonderful atmospheres in a pre-strauss way. He soundsas an avant-garde composer, considering that he was born in 1.813. His tonepoems has a bit of schumannesque style but all of them have their ownpersonality. This is an excellent recommendation for new music explorers.
L**D
The notes come in handy.
William Henry Fry's "Santa Claus Symphony" is actually one movement made up of several mini-movements, or whatever. In the absence of a program, your ears will be confused by the start/stop nature of the "symphony." Luckily, the notes tell us most, or much, of the story that is illustrated by the music--a snowstorm, a party, Santa's arrival, etc. All the listener has to do is know where he or she is. I, myself, started reading the notes somewhat past the double bass solo, so I was as lost as the guy in the snowstorm.The "Niagara Symphony" needs no program--and what would that be, anyway? ("Water falls. Water continues to fall. Etc.") This music is static in form and therefore eminently easy to follow. It is also superbly majestic and evocative. Even without knowing the title in advance, the listener will guess he is hearing something epic being described. ("Water. I see water. Lots of it.") Orchestrationally, this piece is the 19th century's answer to Ferde Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite."But the killer track is the "Macbeth" overture, a superbly dramatic work almost in a league with Tchaikovsky. And "The Aching Heart" is a beautifully-written light piece not nearly as maudlin as its title. It is deceptively simple in the best Viennese tradition.Listeners as impressed as I am by this composer might want to check out the Fry piano work on "The Wind Demon and other 19th Century Piano Music" CD (on the New World label).
P**R
SATISFIED
We ordered this cd for a gift for a family member. She heard this cd on the radio here and we had no trouble obtaining the correct one at Amamzon. Delivery quick. No hassles. We are always very satisfied with Amazon.com.
G**.
Excellent performances of interesting if hardly great music
William Henry Fry (1813-64) was a strikingly original figure; he was the first American-born composer to write for large orchestral forces (among a host of other things), and despite incorporating many elements of contemporary European music (Berlioz seems like the most obvious influence), his musical voice is thoroughly original. In the Santa Claus Symphony - a symphonic poem, really, where Santa Claus fortunately makes only a brief appearance - he incorporates several popular songs of the period, and the work is evocatively pictorial and interestingly scored (among other things with the use of a soprano saxophone, surely not a common instrumental touch in 1853). That said, the structure is very loose and the work is in the end hardly more than the sum of its often very interesting parts.The Niagara Symphony (another symphonic poem, and a short one at that) is another graphic, original and well scored work, but one which is rather short on actual content. The Macbeth overture from 1864 is more conventional but well constructed and including some exciting material, especially again in terms of some very original orchestral textures. The Breaking Heart is overall less worthwhile.Performances are uniformly excellent, and the players are clearly excited by this visceral if ultimately hollow music. Sound quality is fortunately superb as well. All in all, this is an intermittingly exciting and appealing issue - a must to those interesting in the development of symphonic music in the U.S., but definitely worthwhile to others as well; just don't expect any unqualified masterpieces.
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