Richard Hickox - Bridge: Orchestral Works (2012)

Presented on six CDs in a sturdy trimline box set, the 2012 Chandos release of Frank Bridge: Orchestral Works (The Collector's Edition) consists of the albums Richard Hickox recorded between 2000 and 2004. Frank Bridge's rhapsodies, symphonic poems, suites, and songs are lovingly handled in this series, and even though his orchestral music is difficult to categorize by composition types, the groupings by disc are quite practical for listeners who wish to focus on similar works. Bridge's music is also stylistically varied, since he was a transitional figure in British music, working from the late Romantic to the modern period, so his music reflects the influences of his teacher, Charles Villiers Stanford, the impressionism of Claude Debussy and Alexander Scriabin, and even a little of the modernism of Arnold Schoenberg. Yet as daunting as sorting through these influences may seem, newcomers to Bridge's works may be assured that his music is highly accessible and enjoyable, often for the brilliance of his orchestration and the richness of his harmonies and counterpoint. Hickox led the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in these performances and was joined by mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, tenor Philip Langridge, baritone Roderick Williams, cellist Alban Gerhardt, pianist Howard Shelley, and the BBC National Chorus of Wales, further showing the variety of his Bridge's output. Chandos' provided exceptional reproduction, so the sound is rich, deep, and vibrant in a delightfully resonant space. ~ Blair Sanderson