Lloyd: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7 "Proserpine"

Album review

The commercial success of the Lyrita label's reissue series of old radio broadcasts has testified to an unfilled appetite for 20th century music that did not reject tonal bases. Consider these symphonies by George Lloyd, who wrote them in the 1950s, rising at 4:30 a.m. to work on them before spending his days as a mushroom and carnation farmer. This alone should commend the music to listeners, but they have been previously recorded only by Lloyd himself as conductor; these recordings are by Edward Downes, who championed Lloyd's work, leading the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra. Both symphonies are delightful; the two are entirely different from each other, and neither really derives from earlier models, although Elgar is a starting point. The Symphony No. 6 has a neoclassic feel, with a light mood and careful thematic development. The Symphony No. 7, a heavier work, has a program loosely evocative of the Rape of Proserpina. Sample either of the slow movements; for sheer melodic beauty you won't find better. The two performances are studio recordings that were later broadcast on radio; the sound quality is a trifle better than you may be used to from this series. Highly recommended.

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