Benjamin Frankel

[Balthazar]

Got this 4-disc set for Christmas, the eight symphonies (and a few overtures) of British composer Benjamin Frankel (1906-1973). Though a conservative composer and film scorer up until the mid-1950s, he adopted serial methods when he started composing symphonies. Like other British composers of the era like Humphrey Searle and Egon Wellesz, Frankel used twelve-tone techniques to compose conventional symphonies.

I like the subtlety of Frankel's compositions. He seems a little less introverted than Searle, and has a lot of eccentric flourishes in his music.

[Roehre]

Originally Posted by Balthazar

Got this 4-disc set for Christmas, the eight symphonies (and a few overtures) of British composer Benjamin Frankel (1906-1973). Though a conservative composer and film scorer up until the mid-1950s, he adopted serial methods when he started composing symphonies. Like other British composers of the era like Humphrey Searle and Egon Wellesz, Frankel used twelve-tone techniques to compose conventional symphonies.

I like the subtlety of Frankel's compositions. He seems a little less introverted than Searle, and has a lot of eccentric flourishes in his music.

Very nice set indeed.
If you like this, CPO has got his Violin concerto recorded as well.

[Balthazar]

Smack dab in the middle of Frankel's grim Symphony #2 (dedicated to his late wife Anna), there's a surreal funeral march that would have done Mahler proud.

[haydnguy]

Originally Posted by Balthazar

Got this 4-disc set for Christmas, the eight symphonies (and a few overtures) of British composer Benjamin Frankel (1906-1973). Though a conservative composer and film scorer up until the mid-1950s, he adopted serial methods when he started composing symphonies. Like other British composers of the era like Humphrey Searle and Egon Wellesz, Frankel used twelve-tone techniques to compose conventional symphonies.

I like the subtlety of Frankel's compositions. He seems a little less introverted than Searle, and has a lot of eccentric flourishes in his music.

Added to want list.

[some guy]

I'm still trying to process the notion that Searle was introverted.

Valen, may be!

But Searle?

Anyway, all those guys were pretty good composers and wrote a lot of very nice music indeed.

Plus that Frankel set has such a lovely cover. (And three of the four CDs have different covers from the box's.)

[Balthazar]

I'm still fascinated with this set of Frankel's symphonies.

By the time he wrote his 7th in 1970, Frankel was one of the old guard. This work is resolutely old-fashioned, but describes Frankel's pessimism about the turbulent politics of that time as well as his worries about his failing health and artistic obsolescence.



In the delicate second movement, there's even a very brief marching band interlude (at 6:45) that recalls similar gestures from symphonists such as Mahler and Walter Piston.