Van Dieren: Chinese Symphony

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William Boughton secures commendable results from a strong line-up of singers and his assembled BBC NOW forces; Raphael Wallfisch is at his customarily eloquent, self-effacing best in the Elegie.... — Gramophone Magazine, January 2017 More…

Release Date: 11th Nov 2016
Catalogue No: SRCD357
Label: Lyrita
Length: 69 minutes

Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days

Dieren: Symphony No. 1, Op. 6 "Chinese"

Work length40:25

$9.00

$11.70

Morgan Pearse, Rebecca Evans, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, David Soar, Nathan Vale
BBC National Chorus of Wales, BBC National Orchestra of Wales
William Boughton

I. Praeludio

Track length2:43

$1.00

$1.30

II. Recitativo

Track length3:50

$1.00

$1.30

III. Duettino

Track length4:09

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Duetto e coro

Track length2:14

$1.00

$1.30

V. Interludio

Track length8:46

$2.00

$2.60

VI. Cavatina

Track length6:26

$1.00

$1.30

VII. Aria

Track length6:18

$1.00

$1.30

VIII. Quintet e coro

Track length5:59

$1.00

$1.30

Dieren: Introit to Les propous des beuveurs

Work length13:17

$3.00

$3.85

BBC National Orchestra of Wales
William Boughton

Dieren: Elegy

Work length15:39

$4.00

$5.15

BBC National Orchestra of Wales
William Boughton

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About

Bernard van Dieren was an Anglo-Dutch composer whose name was well-known in London musical circles in the 1920s and 1930s. Though born and raised in the Netherlands his music was little known there and he spent most of his adult life in London where his music was more discussed than played. He was praised extravagantly by some, and condemned equally fiercely by others. For various practical reasons, his music was more elusive than his personality, and the great achievement of these recordings is that for the first time we will be able to become familiar with a representative selection of his orchestral music in fine modern performances.

The so-called ‘Chinese’ Symphony is one of van Dieren’s most impressive early works. Entitled just Symphony Op. 6 by the composer, it was written between 1912 and 1914, and is scored for five soloists, chorus and orchestra. It was based on German translations of ancient Chinese poetry. These were taken from Die Chinesische Flöte, a popular volume of translations by Hans Bethge (1876-1946) published in 1907. Poems from this book were also set by Schönberg, Webern, Wellesz, Strauss and most famously by Mahler (Das Lied von der Erde). Though van Dieren was familiar with the work of some of these composers, we do not know if he had encountered Mahler’s masterpiece before writing his symphony. Only one poem appeared in both works – Der Trinker im Frühling. (Alastair Chisholm)

Reviews

January 2017

William Boughton secures commendable results from a strong line-up of singers and his assembled BBC NOW forces; Raphael Wallfisch is at his customarily eloquent, self-effacing best in the Elegie. Excellently recorded in Cardiff’s Hoddinott Hall, and knowledgeably annotated by Alastair Chisholm, this is a most enterprising and fascinating release.

Van Dieren: Chinese Symphony

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