Bax: Symphony No. 3 / The Happy Forest
Here's an irresistible opportunity to acquaint yourself with one of the most lovable of all British symphonies in a finely engineered performance of infectious dedication and impressive power. Bax completed the third of his seven symphonies in early 1929. It's one of his very best scores, crammed full of bewitchingly beautiful melody (nowhere more so than in the wonderfully serene epilogue) and thrillingly evocative of the rugged coastline and mountains in and around Morar (Bax's Scottish winter retreat). David Lloyd-Jones's bright-eyed interpretation is, on balance, the most satisfyingly lucid since Sir John Barbirolli's wartime premier recording with the Hallé. Moreover, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra rises to the challenge with unstinting fervor and impressive polish. For a filler we get a enjoyably robust, at times boisterous, reading of the earlier, toothsome tone poemThe Happy Forest, its gorgeous central portion lacking just a fraction in rapt wonderment. Overall, though, yet another British music winner from Naxos, and an absolute must at the price.--Andrew Achenbach