On Saturday, October 8, 2005 at 4:56:02 PM UTC-7, Toby Winston wrote:
> I want to start by congratulating any and all posters to this thread. I
> have spent the greater part of my life appreciating and trying to
> understand music. Those of you who can intelligentally enlighten me
> with regards to Robert Simpson deserve my respect.
> Let me tell you where I stand at the moment. His understanding and
> demonstration of structure is rare and very gifted. What I find lacking
> is what I find so normal in an another British composer who lacks
> structural intelligence, Bax. I read recently a review that stated
> Simpson's 5th symphony is a greater work than Shostakovich's 5th. This
> is wrong.
> My greater question is today do we worship the form to the denial of
> the spark of inpsiration? I believe this is a fundamental error in the
> logic of much of 20th centuries compositions.

Simpson is mentioned in this 2023 article:

https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/flight-from-beauty-flight-from-judgment-part-ii/

On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 12:06:25 AM UTC-5, gggg gggg wrote:
> On Saturday, October 8, 2005 at 4:56:02 PM UTC-7, Toby Winston wrote:
> > I want to start by congratulating any and all posters to this thread. I
> > have spent the greater part of my life appreciating and trying to
> > understand music. Those of you who can intelligentally enlighten me
> > with regards to Robert Simpson deserve my respect.
> > Let me tell you where I stand at the moment. His understanding and
> > demonstration of structure is rare and very gifted. What I find lacking
> > is what I find so normal in an another British composer who lacks
> > structural intelligence, Bax. I read recently a review that stated
> > Simpson's 5th symphony is a greater work than Shostakovich's 5th. This
> > is wrong.
> > My greater question is today do we worship the form to the denial of
> > the spark of inpsiration? I believe this is a fundamental error in the
> > logic of much of 20th centuries compositions.
> Simpson is mentioned in this 2023 article:
>
> https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/flight-from-beauty-flight-from-judgment-part-ii/

Simpson's book on Bruckner is superb.

On Wednesday, 26 July 2023 at 10:05:25 UTC+10, Lawrence Kart wrote:
> On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 12:06:25 AM UTC-5, gggg gggg wrote:
> > On Saturday, October 8, 2005 at 4:56:02 PM UTC-7, Toby Winston wrote:
> > > I want to start by congratulating any and all posters to this thread. I
> > > have spent the greater part of my life appreciating and trying to
> > > understand music. Those of you who can intelligentally enlighten me
> > > with regards to Robert Simpson deserve my respect.
> > > Let me tell you where I stand at the moment. His understanding and
> > > demonstration of structure is rare and very gifted. What I find lacking
> > > is what I find so normal in an another British composer who lacks
> > > structural intelligence, Bax. I read recently a review that stated
> > > Simpson's 5th symphony is a greater work than Shostakovich's 5th. This
> > > is wrong.
> > > My greater question is today do we worship the form to the denial of
> > > the spark of inpsiration? I believe this is a fundamental error in the
> > > logic of much of 20th centuries compositions.
> > Simpson is mentioned in this 2023 article:
> >
> > https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/flight-from-beauty-flight-from-judgment-part-ii/
> Simpson's book on Bruckner is superb.

I find Simpson's 9th symphony a marvel. Other than that his earlier symphonies seem very "Beethovenian" with a lot of percussion and quite explosive moments. He is very much a composer adhering to sonata type form, as distinct from the more rhapsodic Bax. I have the Vernon Handley set of Simpson symphonies. He was also a great Sibelian scholar.

Ray Hall, Taree

On Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 4:07:57 AM UTC+1, raymond....gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, 26 July 2023 at 10:05:25 UTC+10, Lawrence Kart wrote:
> > On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 12:06:25 AM UTC-5, gggg gggg wrote:
> > > On Saturday, October 8, 2005 at 4:56:02 PM UTC-7, Toby Winston wrote:
> > > > I want to start by congratulating any and all posters to this thread. I
> > > > have spent the greater part of my life appreciating and trying to
> > > > understand music. Those of you who can intelligentally enlighten me
> > > > with regards to Robert Simpson deserve my respect.
> > > > Let me tell you where I stand at the moment. His understanding and
> > > > demonstration of structure is rare and very gifted. What I find lacking
> > > > is what I find so normal in an another British composer who lacks
> > > > structural intelligence, Bax. I read recently a review that stated
> > > > Simpson's 5th symphony is a greater work than Shostakovich's 5th. This
> > > > is wrong.
> > > > My greater question is today do we worship the form to the denial of
> > > > the spark of inpsiration? I believe this is a fundamental error in the
> > > > logic of much of 20th centuries compositions.
> > > Simpson is mentioned in this 2023 article:
> > >
> > > https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/flight-from-beauty-flight-from-judgment-part-ii/
> > Simpson's book on Bruckner is superb.
> I find Simpson's 9th symphony a marvel. Other than that his earlier symphonies seem very "Beethovenian" with a lot of percussion and quite explosive moments. He is very much a composer adhering to sonata type form, as distinct from the more rhapsodic Bax. I have the Vernon Handley set of Simpson symphonies. He was also a great Sibelian scholar.
>
> Ray Hall, Taree

Simpson's 3rd Symphony in its 1967 Proms Premiere with the Royal Philharmonic conducted by Charles Groves received quite a powerful performance ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erMpB-z_tWo