The implication with such “recommendations” always seems to be, at least in part, “you’ll like our recommendations or else“; nevertheless, if anyone is after something else post-Schoenbergian, but nevertheless indefinably “British”, then David Hackbridge Johnson might just be your symphonist (even if he is signed to Toccata, one of Simon’s least-favourite labels).
I’m now going to attempt to shut up for a few articles in this Lent series, to give others a chance to comment first, but it’s going to be difficult given that I share Simon’s adoration of the form…
I may be overstating the case, but I’m sure you said somewhere (although I haven’t found where, admittedly – it was several years back) that it was a label about whose roster you had serious reservations, at the very least.
A fair point – it is often very obscure stuff! Funny how I was convinced you said you didn’t like much of their catalogue, though: it reminds me of the regular Guardian commenter who I was sure was a dyed-in-the-wool Hanslickian who wasted no opportunity to denigrate Bruckner at every turn; either he’s undergone a drastic volte-face in recent times or I’d misremembered utterly…
Anyway, I digress: among Toccata’s bountiful roster of symphonists, I’d single out DHJ, and to a lesser extent Steve “don’t call me Stephen” Elcock, and a lesser extent still Rodney Newton, as worthy of any self-respecting symphony-appreciator’s time. Right, really shutting up now…
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The implication with such “recommendations” always seems to be, at least in part, “you’ll like our recommendations or else“; nevertheless, if anyone is after something else post-Schoenbergian, but nevertheless indefinably “British”, then David Hackbridge Johnson might just be your symphonist (even if he is signed to Toccata, one of Simon’s least-favourite labels).
I’m now going to attempt to shut up for a few articles in this Lent series, to give others a chance to comment first, but it’s going to be difficult given that I share Simon’s adoration of the form…
Since when was Toccata one of my least favourite labels?
I may be overstating the case, but I’m sure you said somewhere (although I haven’t found where, admittedly – it was several years back) that it was a label about whose roster you had serious reservations, at the very least.
i’m not in a position to have much of an opinion, really, as about 90% of what they release is by composers i’ve never heard of!
A fair point – it is often very obscure stuff! Funny how I was convinced you said you didn’t like much of their catalogue, though: it reminds me of the regular Guardian commenter who I was sure was a dyed-in-the-wool Hanslickian who wasted no opportunity to denigrate Bruckner at every turn; either he’s undergone a drastic volte-face in recent times or I’d misremembered utterly…
Anyway, I digress: among Toccata’s bountiful roster of symphonists, I’d single out DHJ, and to a lesser extent Steve “don’t call me Stephen” Elcock, and a lesser extent still Rodney Newton, as worthy of any self-respecting symphony-appreciator’s time. Right, really shutting up now…