William Alwyn - Symphony No.2 • Symphony No.3 • Symphony No.5 (Hydriotaphia)

London Philharmonic Orchestra
William Alwyn, conductor

Label: Lyrita
Copyright: 1992 Lyrita Recorded Edition, England
Catalogue number: SRCD.228
UPC/EAN: 5020926022820
Format: CD
Analogue / Digital recording: ADD
Number of discs: 1
Total playing time: 77.07
Price: £ 14.99 (+ postage & packing)

Tracks 1 & 2: Recorded at Walthamstow, 26 November 1974, Producer: James Walker, Engineer: Kenneth Wilkinson
Tracks 3 - 5: Recorded at Watford, 28 February 1972, Producer: David Harvey, Engineer: Kenneth Wilkinson
Track 6: Recorded at Walthamstow, 4 January 1974


"William Alwyn is a leading member of the ‘lost’ generation of British composers, who wrote important music in the central decades of the twentieth century. His symphonic style is in a post-Sibelian tradition, with motives and ideas appearing in embryo, cogently argued and always finding some kind of apotheosis, inspiring or with an element of disillusionment, which surely reflects human experience. [The music] is for me so much more immediately rewarding than the Boulez school, and I hope to tempt you to explore it further. The performances are passionately authoritative and the vintage recording, from the 1970s, splendidly engineered" Ivan March, Gramophone

"Alwyn the symphonist represents the serious side of this composer. These works are cogently argued, impressive musical statements, arguably showing the very best of this under-rated composer. These particular Lyrita recordings, of course, have the composer’s own special authority and as such should be seen as invaluable documents ..." Colin Clarke, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review


Symphony no.2 William Alwyn 29.31
1 1. Part One : Allegro ma non troppo 12.44
2 2. Part Two : Allegro molto 16.47
Symphony no.3 William Alwyn 32.39
3 1. Allegro molto 10.04
4 2. Poco adagio 9.14
5 3. Allegro con fuoco 13.21
6 Symphony no.5 (Hydriotaphia) William Alwyn 14.55