The Phantasy for Viola and Orchestra was written for Lionel Tertis, a pioneering violist, and was first performed as a 'Concerto in D minor' before Bax changed its title.
Composer Biography
Arnold Bax (1883-1953), the composer, married Elsita Sobrino, daughter of a Spanish pianist and soprano, in 1911.
Performer Biography
Philip Dukes, the violist on this recording, is a Professor of Viola at the Royal Academy of Music in London and a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Historical Context
The Phantasy for Viola and Orchestra reflects Bax's feelings about the political turmoil in Ireland during its composition, even quoting the Sinn Fein Marching Song.
Performer Biography
Sir Andrew Davis, the conductor, has served as Music Director of Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2000 and is Conductor Laureate of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bax's love for Ireland is well-known, and many of his earlier scores reflect his time spent in Donegal and the seaside village of Glencolumcille.
Compositional Technique
Bax, who once called 18th-century music 'sewing machine music', remarkably treated the opening theme of his Overture, Elegy, and Rondo in a manner suggestive of an 18th-century concerto.
