IDAGIO | Moeran: Sinfonietta - Symphony in G minor - Overture for a Masque 5020926024725

Featuring

Sir Adrian Boult
London Philharmonic Orchestra
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Ernest Moeran

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Composer Biography

Ernest John Moeran, the composer, was born in London in 1894 and studied violin and taught himself piano from ecclesiastical music.

Cultural Impact

Moeran's G minor Symphony was chosen by the British Council for its first sponsored gramophone recording, with Leslie Hays Heward conducting.

Composer Biography

Moeran's studies at the Royal College of Music were interrupted by his service as an officer during wartime, where he was wounded.

Composition History

The Overture for a Masque was written in 1944 at the request of Walter Legge, musical director for ENSA, to provide cheerful overtures for troops.

Critical Reception

The Symphony in G minor was critically assessed as 'formally undecided' at its premiere, a criticism also leveled at composers like Beethoven and Brahms.

Composition History

The Symphony in G minor was dedicated to Sir Hamilton Harty, who had initially requested a symphony from Moeran in 1926.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Despite producing large-scale works, Moeran remained essentially a miniaturist, with his many songs and most of his output reflecting a keenness for folk-idiom.