William Mathias: Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 2 (Summer Music)
William Mathias (1934-92) is a composer who belongs right beside William Alwyn, Malcolm Arnold, and Peter Maxwell Davies. His music has a definite British flair to it, but it also partakes of late-20th-century musical experiments. His Symphony 1 (1965) is full of exuberance, but not of the Romantic kind. His overall architecture is neo-Classical and his thematic expressions push the limits of tonality. It's a very dense work. Symphony 2 (Summer Music) of 1983 is far more musically adroit--but it's still dark and foreboding. Fans of 20th-century British music will want to add Mathias's music to their shelves.--Paul Cook