Rawsthorne - Symphonies Nos. 1-3

2010

“David Lloyd-Jones directs Rawsthorne's three symphonies with evident conviction, and secures a consistently enthusiastic and spruce response from the Bournemouth SO. He improves on Sir John Pritchard's 1975 Lyrita account of the terse, immaculately scored First Symphony (1950), bringing elegant proportion and thrusting purpose. As for its luminous and poignant successor, A Pastoral Symphony (1959), honours are more equally divided. Lloyd-Jones distils rather more in the way of gentle melancholy, whereas Nicholas Braithwaite and the LPO on Lyrita achieve the greater poise.
Norman Del Mar's BBC SO version of the imposing Third (1964) has done sterling service down the years, but Lloyd-Jones fully matches its blazing commitment, tying up the symphonic threads to even more clinching effect in the finale (whose peaceful coda recalls material from the opening movement), while distilling every ounce of brooding atmosphere and forceful emotion from the stately tread of the second movement 'Alla Sarabanda'.
A touch of rawness aside, the recording is hugely vivid, offering a pretty much ideal combination of bite and amplitude. The disc represents irresistible value for money.”

Claire Rogers

15th February 2005

“Conductor David Lloyd-Jones's approach is thoughtful and serious, but not over-dramatic, drawing control and detail from all sections of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. They respond with some fine, committed playing, a testament to the fine quality of this orchestra.”