Richard Hickox, the conductor on this album, was a highly gifted and versatile British conductor who made over 280 recordings and received a Grammy and five Gramophone Awards.
Composer Biography
Gustav Holst, though of Baltic extraction, was born in Cheltenham, England, and was deeply influenced by the spirit of the West Country.
Composer Biography
Holst spent most of his life teaching, serving as music master at St Paul's Girls School in Hammersmith from 1905 almost until his death.
Compositional Technique
In 'A Somerset Rhapsody', Holst combines folksongs by playing them simultaneously with different orchestral colorings, a technique he developed in later scores.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Holst's music often reflects a 'spirit of place', celebrating both the desolate Egdon Heath and the urban energy of Hammersmith, with the River Thames representing archetypal and eternal themes.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Holst's 'Egdon Heath' is a homage to author Thomas Hardy, reflecting the desolate Dorset countryside that Hardy called 'Egdon Heath' in his novel 'The Return of the Native'.
Composition History
Holst's 'A Somerset Rhapsody' originated from a 'New Selection of Songs of Somerset' and was written at the suggestion of Cecil Sharp, a collector of folksongs.
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