The British Dvořák
Samuel Coleridge-taylor was one of England’s brightest hopes – and this recording shows why
Coleridge-taylor
Symphony in A minor, Op. 8*; Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast**
*Aarhus Symphony Orchestra/douglas Bostock; **Richard Lewis (tenor);
Royal Choral Society; Philharmonia Orchestra/malcolm Sargent
Alto ALC 1462 68:10 mins
This disc pairs important recordings of two major works, one astonishingly successful in its time, the other barely known. Samuel Coleridge-taylor’s Symphony in A minor from 1896 may be a student offering, but what a precocious student! The command of form and handling of the orchestra are thoroughly convincing and engaging. As for many symphonists of the time, Dvoˇrák’s influence is apparent. There is no doubting the strength of Coleridge-taylor’s invention, though, in this generally affable work, especially in this sprightly performance from the Aarhus Orchestra conducted by Douglas Bostock.
It was just two years after the symphony that Coleridge-taylor wrote Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, by far the most successful choral work of its age, one that rivalled Handel’s Messiah for popularity. Combined with its two successors as The Song of Hiawatha, it became an annual two-week fixture at the Royal Albert Hall between the wars, championed by Sir Malcolm Sargent. His exuberant 1962 recording with the Royal Choral Society and Philharmonia Orchestra is an invaluable document of a remarkable phenomenon arising from some utterly enchanting music. ★★★★★