Tippett on CD

[BBMmk2]

I love Tippetts music. Johnb, yes wholeheartedly agree, The Rose Lake, is possiblky Tippett's most beautiful work.

I don't think that anyone has mentioned his massive late magnum opus, 'The Mask of Time'. Why is ios rarely performed Is it becuase it could be rather cumbersome, not vintage Tippett(I've heard this mentioned before). Could any board member, shed some light?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've been re-reading the Teach Yourself book: Contemporary Music, dating from the late 1960s. Tippett was rated exceptionally highly in this publication, particularly his "King Priam".

[rubbernecker]

I've loved Tippett's music since first hearing the Concerto for Double String Orchestra as a 16-yr old. The two Decca box sets are good value and can be had for £35 together from Amazon. Having said that, the 4 disc set of the vocal and choral music is a bit of a curate's egg and less satisfying than the orchestral and chamber box, but worth having for the Davis 'Child of our Time' (wonder what happened to the Pritchard?) and the song cycles like The Hearts Assurance. The Knot Garden seems only to be there because it's the sole surviving piece of operatic repertoire in the Decca/Philips back catalogue. The inclusion of the KG-derived Songs for Dov therefore involves some duplication of material.

The 6 disc set on the other hand is a goldmine with all 4 symphonies, and most of the concerti, piano sonatas and string quartets. The only notable omission from the core repertory is the sublime Piano Concerto. The set includes the Ritual Dances from the Midsummer Marriage. These are excerpts from the complete opera recording rather than a re-recording of the actual concert suite, and as such have some disconcerting fade-outs (as well as the vocal lines you wouldn't hear if you saw this piece performed in the concert hall). Nonetheless, it gives a wonderful flavour of the incandescent and life-enhancing music that pervades the whole opera. If you love it as much as I did (I wore out the grooves of my LP recording) I cannot recommend highly enough the complete Davis recording, now on Lyrita.

I second the Rose Lake and the Vision of St. Augustine, and I also propose the solo instrumental late work The Blue Guitar.

[Roehre]

The set includes the Ritual Dances from the Midsummer Marriage. These are excerpts from the complete opera recording rather than a re-recording of the actual concert suite, and as such have some disconcerting fade-outs (as well as the vocal lines you wouldn't hear if you saw this piece performed in the concert hall).

This was already the case with the original Philips LP with the concerto for Orchestra as coupling, a much cherished piece of vinyl which a bought as long ago as 1979.

[rubbernecker]

This was already the case with the original Philips LP with the concerto for Orchestra as coupling, a much cherished piece of vinyl which a bought as long ago as 1979.

It is indeed the very same LP which, by 1979 when you bought yours, I had already worn out. Although I have to correct you in that this was not the original Philips LP but a re-issue on the Universo label. The Pritchard recording of the Concerto for Orchestra had appeared previously at full price with a completely different coupling (I have the LP somewhere - could have been the Argo Child of Our Time on 3 sides?). For the Universo re-issue Philips rather lazily took the relevant excerpts from the opera recording, and repackaged it as Ritual Dances.

[Ian]

It is indeed the very same LP which, by 1979 when you bought yours, I had already worn out. Although I have to correct you in that this was not the original Philips LP but a re-issue on the Universo label. The Pritchard recording of the Concerto for Orchestra had appeared previously at full price with a completely different coupling (I have the LP somewhere - could have been the Argo Child of Our Time on 3 sides?). For the Universo re-issue Philips rather lazily took the relevant excerpts from the opera recording, and repackaged it as Ritual Dances.

I've got a 1965 LP of the Concerto for Orchestra, side 2 is the rather elegant 'Little Symphony' Op. 15 by Alexander Goehr. Both Works are performed by the LSO conducted by Colin Davis.

[Thomas Roth]

I haven´t got much to say about Tippett that hasn´t been said by other members. I love his music and am grateful for Australian Decca Eloquence for releasing Colin Davis´ recording of the Suite for Prince Charles. Also I think the composers version of the Corelli Fantasia is a wonder. I met Tippett and his partner, Meirion Bowen in the late eighties for a talk and a couple of dry martinis in Stockholm and they were both wonderful men. So warm and generous. I was a bit too nervous though. But I received a couple of signed books. Tippett´s was nearly blind and when I arrived he grabbed me by the neck and took a very close look at my face. I will never forget this hour.
We badly need some new recordings of his music and the grossly underrated, on disc at least, David Atherton should be given the opportunity.

[rubbernecker]

I've got a 1965 LP of the Concerto for Orchestra, side 2 is the rather elegant 'Little Symphony' Op. 15 by Alexander Goehr. Both Works are performed by the LSO conducted by Colin Davis.

I must remember never to post on this forum while at work, a) because I should not be distracted from working and b) because I don't have access to my record collection to check the accuracy of what I'm saying. Indeed Ian you are correct, the original coupling of the Tippett Concerto for Orchestra, with the LSO conducted by Davis (not Pritchard) is the Goehr Little Symphony (although that is conducted by Norman del Mar). A British Council release on Philips SAL3497.

The Pritchard Child of Our Time (3 sides of an Argo set ZDA19-20) is coupled on the 4th side by... guess what... the Ritual Dances from the Midsummer Marriage in their proper orchestral suite form. The recording does show its age somewhat which is probably why it didn't make it on to the Decca 6 CD reissue.

[BBMmk2]

Wpould do members think about Tiopet's 'The Mask of Time'

[Suffolkcoastal]

It's one of the few Tippett works I struggle with BBM, it has some fine moments but it just doesn't 'work' for me. Going back to the Shires Suite, I have the LP coupled with a rather uninteresting work by Douglas Young. Regarding Tippett on R3, unless he has a good December, the amount of Tippett broadcast will be even less than last year's dismal representation.

[Chris Newman]

"What do members think about Tippett's 'The Mask of Time?'" asks BBM.
It is hard work: probably one of the toughest Tippett nuts to crack although I think "The Vision of St Augustine" is tougher.

At about the time of the recording of the "Vision" with the LSO and the composer I went to two performances at the Royal Festival Hall. I had just discovered the Double String Concerto, Piano Concerto and Midsummer Marriage and went to the first concert absolutely excited. That first hearing left me totally baffled. However it was coupled with Tippett conducting the greatest performance I have ever heard of Elgar's Introduction and Allegro (as good as Barbirolli's famous recording!!) and a rapturous rendering by Maurice Gendron of Elgar's Cello Concerto. I was so impressed by them I sat through the second concert and had my eyes opened by "The Vision". Then I bought the recording and by the time "The Mask of Time" came out I was more prepared for it.

Going back to the Elgar performances. I hope that one day the recordings will be dug out (if they survived) and and issued on CD.