9 thoughts on “Fabulous Concert Programs No. 145 (The George Lloyd Symphony Cycle 4)”
You are doing sterling work promoting the music of this composer. I started acquiring his works back in the very early 1990s when GL's 4th Symphony (on tape) was gifted to me here in London UK by a composer/friend, and it became a must-have item in my car. I was privileged to meet GL who happened to live nearby with his wife Nancy who did British music such a huge service by nursing him back to health following his disastrous WW2 injuries aboard the Arctic convoy cruiser HMS Trinidad. I am sure the composer would be delighted to have such a champion as yourself, not least because of his happy connection with the US concern Albany Records and the Albany Symphony Orchestra. On the negative side, the BBC Proms still seems unable to find room for his music at that annual event, which says more about why the modern BBC has lost so much respect and trust in what it selects for use.
It's by far my favourite of Lloyds symphonies the B major forth. The slow movement is sublime and adore the optimistic march to see off this glorious work. Im so glad you covered this, deserves better recognition. The proms would be fantastic, will it ever happen? Sadly not. Thanks for sharing with us, love your shows, cheers Nick.
Thanks, Dave! You have such great ideas and imagination. Keep up the good work! You have been a savior to me during the pandemic and during my last years of recovering from a burn out. I purchased and lustened to both the Lloys symphony boxes and the concertos, and have also bought the choir works, which I haven't had time to listen to yet. I enjoyed the symphonies very much! Didn't even know of Lloyd before. Greetings from Sweden!
Thanks so much Dave! What a marvelous program! Up until now my favorite of your concerts has been 117 – the all Glazunov. I come back to it regularly. This new one rivals it! I was not familiar with the Sibelius and it’s great! I had read the person story behind Lloyd’s 4th and was expecting something quite different when I first heard it. Your description in this video nails it. It has such a hopeful and triumphant attitude in the face of such pain that it brought a tear to my eye.
Great stuff, Dave! I remember the first time I heard the Lloyd 4th and I couldn’t stop wondering “where has this been all my life?”! I find it so endearing how Lloyd was able to compose such a life-affirming work after enduring such a horrific event. (It’s been said that Lloyd truly exorcised his “war demons” in the dark 7th Symphony.) The 3rd and 4th movements of the symphony, in particular, have some of the catchiest tunes I’ve ever heard in my life, without a doubt! Anyone can write an ugly serialist piece based on tone rows or mathematical equations, but only a genius like Lloyd could create such immediately memorable melodies, woven into a convincing symphonic argument and clothed in brilliant orchestration. I can’t imagine an audience not enthusiastically jumping to their feet at the conclusion of the work if it were ever given the chance in the concert hall…
In my opinion the Lloyd 4th symphony is the best in the cycle.I have only heard it in public once and that was given by the BBC Philharmonic under Rumon Gamba in Manchester UK in 2006 (as a studio concert).I agree with your comments about the Sibelius,I have never heard a public concert performance and finally the Bartok which I heard in four performances (2 amateur,2 professional) between 1971 and l981.None since
I've mentioned it before, but I was unaware of Lloyd's music until you brought him into sight for me. It has been an absolute delight discovering his music bit by bit. Thank you 👍
You are doing sterling work promoting the music of this composer. I started acquiring his
works back in the very early 1990s when GL's 4th Symphony (on tape) was gifted to me here
in London UK by a composer/friend, and it became a must-have item in my car. I was
privileged to meet GL who happened to live nearby with his wife Nancy who did British
music such a huge service by nursing him back to health following his disastrous WW2
injuries aboard the Arctic convoy cruiser HMS Trinidad. I am sure the composer would
be delighted to have such a champion as yourself, not least because of his happy
connection with the US concern Albany Records and the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
On the negative side, the BBC Proms still seems unable to find room for his music
at that annual event, which says more about why the modern BBC has lost so much
respect and trust in what it selects for use.
It's by far my favourite of Lloyds symphonies the B major forth. The slow movement is sublime and adore the optimistic march to see off this glorious work. Im so glad you covered this, deserves better recognition. The proms would be fantastic, will it ever happen? Sadly not. Thanks for sharing with us, love your shows, cheers Nick.
Thanks, Dave! You have such great ideas and imagination. Keep up the good work!
You have been a savior to me during the pandemic and during my last years of recovering from a burn out.
I purchased and lustened to both the Lloys symphony boxes and the concertos, and have also bought the choir works, which I haven't had time to listen to yet. I enjoyed the symphonies very much! Didn't even know of Lloyd before. Greetings from Sweden!
Thanks so much Dave! What a marvelous program! Up until now my favorite of your concerts has been 117 – the all Glazunov. I come back to it regularly. This new one rivals it! I was not familiar with the Sibelius and it’s great! I had read the person story behind Lloyd’s 4th and was expecting something quite different when I first heard it. Your description in this video nails it. It has such a hopeful and triumphant attitude in the face of such pain that it brought a tear to my eye.
George Lloyd is probably the single most underrated composer of the 20th century.
I've been missing your splendid concert programs. Glad to see another good one.
Great stuff, Dave! I remember the first time I heard the Lloyd 4th and I couldn’t stop wondering “where has this been all my life?”! I find it so endearing how Lloyd was able to compose such a life-affirming work after enduring such a horrific event. (It’s been said that Lloyd truly exorcised his “war demons” in the dark 7th Symphony.) The 3rd and 4th movements of the symphony, in particular, have some of the catchiest tunes I’ve ever heard in my life, without a doubt! Anyone can write an ugly serialist piece based on tone rows or mathematical equations, but only a genius like Lloyd could create such immediately memorable melodies, woven into a convincing symphonic argument and clothed in brilliant orchestration. I can’t imagine an audience not enthusiastically jumping to their feet at the conclusion of the work if it were ever given the chance in the concert hall…
In my opinion the Lloyd 4th symphony is the best in the cycle.I have only heard it in public once and that was given by the BBC Philharmonic under Rumon Gamba in Manchester UK in 2006 (as a studio concert).I agree with your comments about the Sibelius,I have never heard a public concert performance and finally the Bartok which I heard in four performances (2 amateur,2 professional) between 1971 and l981.None since
I've mentioned it before, but I was unaware of Lloyd's music until you brought him into sight for me.
It has been an absolute delight discovering his music bit by bit.
Thank you 👍