Naxos’ ongoing Bax symphony cycle goes from strength to strength with the release of this sumptuous performance of the darkly militant Fifth Symphony. The composer dedicated the work to Sibelius, and the very opening makes the source of Bax’s inspiration quite clear. The piece begins with a sort of chromatic, glum paraphrase of the slow movement of Sibelius’ Fifth–the music toys with exactly the same five-note rhythm, though of course the melodic material is quite different. The symphony’s turbulent outer movements contain some of Bax’s most exciting music (as well as his most dissonant and intractable), and he launches the central Poco lento with an unforgettable Romantic orchestral gesture: trumpet fanfares backed by high string tremolos and glittering harp arpeggios. Once again David Lloyd-Jones eclipses the competition on Chandos, offering a performance that’s tightly wound, vividly played, and excellently recorded. The tone poem, another of Bax’s nature portraits in the manner of November Woods, finds everyone involved in equally fine form. A winner. [5/22/2000]
