Symphony No. 4/the Ocean

Here we have three orchestral pieces dating from the early years of the last century, all of them descriptive in the manner of 'tone poems' à la Liszt, Strauss or Dukas. 'The Ocean' is a fifteen minute musical depiction of the sea from 1920, inspired by poetry of Louis K. Anspacher, another once celebrated artist whose work has disappeared from our collective consciousness. It portrays a sea storm as well as the glassy stillness of a becalmed sea. It builds to a Straussian climax before ending with a brief and serene coda. The program notes quote extensively from Anspacher's 'Ocean Ode,' and provide a program of sorts. 'The Culprit Fay' is another quarter-hour tone poem based on a poem, this time the early 19th century American poet, Joseph Rodman Drake's eponymous paean to the mighty Hudson River. Written in 1908, the music, which tells the story of a male water fairy who makes the mistake of falling in love with a mortal woman, is rather more impressionistic than 'The Ocean' and sounds at times like Dukas. It displays Hadley's mastery of French-influenced orchestration and is really quite effective. There was a time when it was quite popular with American orchestras, we're told.

Although a true symphony, Hadley's Fourth Symphony (1911), is also descriptive. Each of the four movements is named for a direction. 'North' protrays winter weather and there is a blizzard every bit as stark as the wintry music of Sibelius, say. It begins with a solemn chorale in the brass before bursting forth with a wild and wicked storm, all crafted skillfully. 'East' abounds with Orientalisms reminiscent of Ketèlbey, but sounding a good bit more authentic. Granted, the materials sound rather more like what we later came to hear in film music, but we must remember that Hadley was writing a good twenty-five years before that sort of music was common in our movie theaters. (A side note: Hadley is credited with writing the very first synchronized film score, for 'When a Man Loves,' in 1926.) 'South' obviously refers to the American South, and this scherzo is my favorite of the four 'directions' primarily because it is an expert and early use of ragtime rhythms in concert music. Plus, it swings! 'West' also seems to be describing an American region, the wide-open spaces of our Western states. It abounds with Elgarian nobilmente and Straussian instrumental brilliance allied with some use of what sound to be Native American melodies. It is interesting that our modern conception of Western music exemplified by the open harmonies of Copland has no place here, but the music still manages to convey the grandeur of the region.

This release is a part of the increasingly valuable 'American Classics' series. It matters not that the orchestra involved is the Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra; under John McLaughlin Williams's expert direction they play with conviction, suavity and rhythmic point. I don't think an American orchestra could have done it any better. The informative notes are by the CD's (and the American Classics') producers, Victor and Marina Ledin. Lifelike sound.

TT=69 mins.

Scott Morrison