You will not find such a stellar retrospective of the English Symphony anywhere, at any price. Included are the complete symphonies of Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Bax, Malcolm Arnold and many more.

“The Malcolm Arnold Symphonies set arguably constitutes the best series of recordings in the Naxos catalog--performances of uniformly high quality made in the presence of the composer and recorded with more realistic balances and cleaner textures than any of their rivals…At any price, you can't do better.” -- ClassicsToday.com

“The Best Bax cycle available at any price…top quality performances and sonics of excellent technical quality ” -- ClassicsToday.com

In addition, you will find a "First Rate" complete Vaughan Williams Symphony cycle and, the best know of the genre, the Elgar symphonies (including Anthony Payne's completion of the Third). William Walton's symphonies are here and the entire set is rounded out by the lesser known works of Rawsthorne, Bantock, and Bliss. Absolutely a "Must Have" set for anyone with an interest in the English Symphony or, truly, the Symphonic genre as a whole. The avid collector will want to hear these versions if they are unfamiliar, and for the novice...Wow! What an introduction!

For more details and reviews of some of the individual discs in this set Click Here.

English Symphonies Collection
When compared to musical developments in the rest of Europe, nationalism in English music came late. After being virtually absent from the British musical landscape for well over a century, the symphony made a fantastic reentry with the 1908 Symphony No. 1 of Sir Edward Elgar, widely regarded as the first English masterpiece in the medium, receiving dozens of performances throughout the world in that first year alone. With nine numbered symphonies composed in his extensive career, Ralph Vaughan Williams became, arguably, England’s finest symphonist, with each work projecting nobility, melodic directness and a profound Englishness. Much of his work makes skillful use of folk material. “A London Symphony” is the composer’s well-crafted and loving evocation of the atmosphere of the capital. The seven symphonies of Arnold Bax were composed in the 1920s and 30s and display a remarkable contrapuntal skill, impressionist use of orchestral color and a fine sense of pace. Linked to Ireland by his friendships, annual visits to the rural west, and a Dublin residency before and during the time of the Easter Rising, Bax was conflicted about his knighthood, bestowed in 1939. The unjustly neglected Granville Bantock also drew inspiration from Celtic culture, but from the landscape of Scotland’s far flung corners. His ambitious Hebridean Symphony celebrates the remote islands of the Scottish Highlands, working folksong into a symphonic framework.

William Walton was an immense musical figure in English musical life and his First Symphony was an enormous success at its premiere in 1935, rapidly leading to hundreds of performances. The emotional range of the work is staggering, from the tense opening movement to the impish scherzo (marked to be played “with malice”) to the satisfying finale. The Second Symphony is scarcely less impressive while the composer’s Viola Concerto – composed for Lionel Tertis but premiered by Paul Hindemith (and coupled here) – is arguably the greatest concerto ever written for the instrument.

The prolific William Alwyn, contemporary of Britten and Tippett, composed in a variety of forms, including five well-constructed symphonies, two of which are included in this collection. The first English composer ever to win an Oscar, ( in 1958, for Bridge on the River Kwai), Malcolm Arnold is celebrated for his work in film, though his nine symphonies are arguably the finest works in an oeuvre that also includes concertos, ballets, chamber and solo music. The work of Alan Rawsthorne is notable for its structural clarity and keen wit. His three symphonies, composed in the 1950s and ‘60s, give ample evidence that his was a major voice in British symphonic life which is only now truly garnering appreciation. -- Sean Hickey

Also available - The American Symphony Collection

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Also available - The British Orchestral Collection

SEE ALSO, the complete series of Exclusive Gift Sets from Naxos on ArkivMusic!