Imaginary

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Calling an artist competent is damning with faint praise. Some composers are technically sound but lack any profound musical insight, or inspiration.

Arnold Bax’s tone poems are masterful. By contrast, his seven symphonies are about “Celtic atmosphere” but not much else. They are monotonously similar to each other, and do not develop musical ideas to any significant point of fulfillment.

• Arnold Bax, Symphony No. 1 in E-flat Major (1922)
• Arnold Bax, Symphony No. 2 in C Major (1926)
• Arnold Bax, Symphony No. 3 (1929)
• Arnold Bax, Symphony No. 4 (1931)
• Arnold Bax, Symphony No. 5 (1932)
• Arnold Bax, Symphony No. 6 (1935)
• Arnold Bax, Symphony No. 7 (1939)

Compositions:

• Friedrich Gernsheim’s (1839-1926) violin sonatas 1-3 are more than competent but they well express this value all the same: Sonata No. 1 in C minor, Op. 4; Sonata No. 2 in C major, Op. 50; Sonata No. 3 in F major, Op. 64
• Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer, Premier Livre de Piéces pour Clavecin: workmanlike compositions.
• Weber, Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 32, J155 (1812)
• Raga Rajeshwari (Rajeswari – Rajeshvari – Rajesvari), a Hindustani classical raag (performances by Salamat Ali Khan and Shivkumar Sharma)
• Cimarosa, 32 Sonatas for piano; complete keyboard sonatas
• Storace, harpsichord and organ music

Albums:

• Chick Corea is a jazz legend but I place his “Further Explorations” album, with Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian, here because of his and their consummate musicianship.
• Eric Alexander, “Man With a Horn” album: straight-ahead jazz, in ensemble, solidly performed