William Alwyn: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (2005)

William Alwyn first made his mark as a film composer in the late '30s and it was through a film score that Alwyn met conductor John Barbirolli in 1948. Alwyn had written the score for a movie about Manchester, the home of the Hallé Orchestra led by Barbirolli, and the latter was hired to record it for the soundtrack. According to Alwyn's autobiography, Barbirolli was at first cold and distant but quickly warmed to the music and commissioned its composer to write a symphony. Alwyn responded with the four-movement First and ... Read More

William Alwyn first made his mark as a film composer in the late '30s and it was through a film score that Alwyn met conductor John Barbirolli in 1948. Alwyn had written the score for a movie about Manchester, the home of the Hallé Orchestra led by Barbirolli, and the latter was hired to record it for the soundtrack. According to Alwyn's autobiography, Barbirolli was at first cold and distant but quickly warmed to the music and commissioned its composer to write a symphony. Alwyn responded with the four-movement First and Barbirolli responded by premiering and recording the work. Alwyn and Barbirolli liked working together so much that in 1952 the latter commissioned the former to write his two-movement Second, which the latter premiered and recorded the following year.Those two recordings are preserved on this expertly remastered disc and anyone who enjoys the English symphony will have to hear them. Barbirolli clearly came to love Alwyn's music and regarded it as being in the same league as Sibelius... Read Less