This present CD brings William
Wordsworth’s Symphonic count to seven out of eight. Only Symphony No.6 is
missing. For the record, nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 are available on Lyrita discs and
nos.4, 5, and 8 have been previously issued on the Toccata label. An outstanding
biographical study of the composer by Paul Conway is available on these pages.
I began with the oldest piece on
this disc: Jubilation: A Festivity for Orchestra, op.78. It was finished
in the autumn of 1965. Sadly, the liner notes give no indication of where and
when the premiere was given. I did find a reference to a concert from Glasgow,
broadcast on Radio 3 on 17 January 1971. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
was conducted by James Loughran. Jubilation “works out” several themes
introduced at the beginning. There is fanfare music, Scotch snaps, a lively tune
on the violins and a lyrical melody for oboe. All these are subject to considerable
development. Unsurprisingly, this gnomic and diverting piece comes to an
enthusiastic conclusion. The orchestration here is a masterclass in instrumental
colour, with especially vibrant writing for the brass.
A Spring Festival Overture was composed in late 1970. It was commissioned by the Pitlochry Festival Society Ltd., and was duly dedicated to the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, and its Director, Kenneth Ireland, OBE. Wordsworth explained that the title was “intended to convey a dual meaning” – the celebration of the 20th birthday of the Festival Theatre and the “music itself is intended to represent the feeling of new life thrusting upward in the season of Spring.” Structurally, the overture is in expanded ternary form. The slow opening represents “the first stirrings of spring” in the lovely county of Perthshire. The faster central section explores ideas “foreshadowed” during the introduction and leads to a more exuberant and even fervent in mood. The slower, more introverted mood returns, and the listener can look out for the distant cuckoo calls played on the clarinets. The overture ends with a misty coda followed by a sforzando chord. Much of this musical exploration is romantic in tone, with no nods towards modernity or the avant-garde. Wordsworth wrote that “It is my hope and intention that the style of the work is sufficiently lyrical to hold no problems for the ordinary music-lover.”
Confluence: Symphonic Variations, op.100 was completed in 1976. The liner notes explain that it was commissioned by the Governors of the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness to mark its opening. This multi-purpose theatre, cinema and arts venue is located on the banks of the River Ness. The venue has subsequently been rebuilt. The premiere was given on 15 April by the Scottish National Orchestra under the direction of Sir Alexander Gibson. The title clearly implies the “coming together of things.” Whether this be a river, musical themes or some other “joining” is not stated. The progress of the variations reflect an ever more colourful expansion of the opening material. The highlight (for me) of these variations is some of the magically orchestrated poetic sections. This lyricism is counterbalanced by march like motifs and a fugal passage that build up to the conclusion. Overall, this is an approachable, if occasionally challenging piece. It deserves a valued place in the orchestral repertoire: somehow, I doubt that it has been performed often since its premiere.
The Symphony No.7 was another Eden Court commission to celebrate the renewal of the venue’s sound system. The interesting thing about this work is that Wordsworth used a pre-recorded tape, in honour of this technical development. The composer recalled that around the time when he was planning the symphony, the BBC broadcast a television programme about Albert Einstein. Two quotations “particularly struck” him. Firstly, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious; it is the source of all art, and he who cannot experience it is already half-dead” and secondly, “What really interested me is whether God had any choice in the creation of the world.” (From Wordsworth’s typed programme note). These two philosophical thoughts “helped to shape the work, and to provide the title “Cosmos.”
The easiest paradigm for
approaching this powerful symphony is to note the two main musical themes: a
bass moving slowly in fourths and fifths, and a contrasting four-note theme in
adjacent notes.” Thus said, the entire symphony consists of “continuous
variations” on these subjects. In case the listener is worried about the tape,
and the possibility of musique concrete, there is no need to panic. The
recording simply provides two slowly repeated chords for strings. This is used
at four key points in the Symphony’s growth. First heard quietly before the
orchestra enters, it then makes a loud appearance before the “sostenuto” middle
section. There is another quiet entry before the music fades into the coda, and
finally, just before the concluding bars. The liner notes point out that
“Wordsworth’s inventive approach to scoring is given full rein. No iteration of
the main material ever uses the same instrumental combination.” This, I think,
is what gives this piece its strength and appeal. It seems as if the Cosmos is
constantly evolving, expanding in ever changing patterns and moods. It
celebrates the abundance of the Creator’s energy.
Other critics have noted how the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra have “Wordsworth’s music completely in their bloodstream and sound as if they have been playing it for decades.” I cannot fault the playing in any way. As these are all “first recordings,” it is not possible to compare them with anything. Certainly, the performances of all four compositions strike me as competent, sympathetic and commanding.
As noted above, the liner notes
are superb. They give all the information that is required to appreciate this
music. Conway has successfully contextualised this repertoire into the
composer’s life and times. There are the usual biographies of the Liepāja
Symphony Orchestra and their conductor for this present Wordsworth cycle, John
Gibbons.
I look forward to further issues in this series, with, hopefully, the missing Symphony No.6. John Gibbons has told me that it has never been performed! Perhaps, A Highland Overture and the Two Scottish Sketches for small orchestra could also be included.
William Wordsworth moved to
Kincraig, Inverness-shire in 1961, he remained there for the remainder of his
life. Like Kenneth Leighton and Ronald Stevenson he can be regarded as an
“honorary” Scottish composer. It seems remarkable that there is currently a lack
of interest in Wordsworth’s oeuvre, especially in his adopted country of
Scotland. Surely, one of the great Scottish Orchestras could accept his cause,
instead of playing the usual potboilers and crowd pullers. It is just possible
that their audiences may come to enjoy his music. Meanwhile, this Latvian
orchestra does him proud.
William WORDSWORTH (1908-88)
A Spring Festival Overture, op.90, (1970)
Symphony No.7 “Cosmos,” op.107, (1980)
Jubilation: A Festivity for Orchestra, op.78 (1965)
Confluence: Symphonic Variations, op.100 (1976)
Līga Baltābola (violin), (Confluence); Liepāja Symphony Orchestra/John Gibbons
rec. 4-5 February (Symphony No. 7) and 16-18 June 2021, Great Amber Concert Hall, Liepāja, Latvia.
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 0618
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