Bowen: Symphonies Nos 1 & 2

Bowen: Symphonies Nos 1 & 2

Best known for his solo piano music, York Bowen wrote four symphonies. The Fourth remained unfinished; the Third is missing; the First, never performed in his lifetime, was only premiered in 2010, 108 years after it was composed; and the Second cannot have been heard more than a handful of times since its first performance in 1912. But with the current revival of interest in his works, Chandos must feel they’re marketable in the current climate.

Our rating

4

Exclusive US Offer - try a BBC Music Magazine subscription and get your first 3 issues for only $12.99 PLUS delivery from the UK!

Published: January 20, 2012 at 4:38 pm

COMPOSERS: Bowen
LABELS: Chandos
WORKS: Symphonies Nos 1 & 2
PERFORMER: BBC Philharmonic/Andrew Davis
CATALOGUE NO: CHAN 10670



Best known for his solo piano music, York Bowen wrote four symphonies. The Fourth remained unfinished; the Third is missing; the First, never performed in his lifetime, was only premiered in 2010, 108 years after it was composed; and the Second cannot have been heard more than a handful of times since its first performance in 1912. But with the current revival of interest in his works, Chandos must feel they’re marketable in the current climate. The three-movement Symphony No. 1 (1902) is the work of an 18-year-old, and proves to be one of those light, pithy, English first symphonies that avoids being overawed by symphonic tradition, like Cyril Scott’s First or Holst’s Cotswold Symphony.

Symphony No. 2 (1909) is a much more ambitious four-movement affair, with an underlying ‘motto’ theme, an almost impressionistic slow movement of delicate orchestral textures and a delightfully witty scherzo, whose sense of colour further highlights the influence of Debussy on Bowen. The outer movements take themselves more seriously. While neither work adds a great deal to the story of the British symphony, they are not negligible: they’re deftly written and inventive, and realised here in spirited, thoroughly sympathetic performances.

Calum MacDonald

Sidebar Image

Exclusive U.S. Offer

Try a BBC Music Magazine subscription and get free delivery from the UK!

Subscribe Now!
Receive our weekly newsletter, packed with features, news and reviews
By entering your details, you are agreeing to Classical Music terms and conditions. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Exclusive U.S. Offer

Try a BBC Music Magazine subscription and get free delivery from the UK!

This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
© Our Media 2025