On balance, this remains the finest performance of Arthur Bliss’ rich and ripe A Colour Symphony, with its chivalric subtext and dynamic treatment of a large orchestra. It was recorded in what increasingly looks like Chandos’ glory days, when there was so much wonderful English music to make available, and the excellence of so many of the lesser known U.K. and Irish orchestras was just becoming known. Technically these Ulster productions (remember that Bax Fourth?) were also special, and of course Vernon Handley has few peers in this music.
The couplings, though offering extra value, are less interesting musically. Linda Finnie, Chandos’ house mezzo, has such an uninteresting voice that her career remains something of a mystery, and it would be idle to pretend that The Enchantress, a scena dating from 1951, is one of Bliss’ more inspired works. Nor does the Cello Concerto, decent though it is, rise to the level of Elgar’s or Walton’s (or Finzi’s) efforts in the medium. Still, Raphael Wallfisch plays it well, and for the symphony alone this disc is worth having. However, it has to be pointed out that Naxos offers the same symphony with a better coupling–the complete ballet Adam Zero–in performances almost as good. Your choice. [3/14/2005]
