Don Satz wrote:

>I was feeling a little confused as to just what recordings Chandos is
>releasing in honor of the Bax Anniversary, so I went to the Chandos
>website which spelled it all out.
>
>The new box set of the Symphonies conducted by Handley is brand new.
>Like Richard Pennycuick, that surprises me given that the Thomson
>recordings are still being distributed by Chandos.

By all rights, the Handley readings should be eons better than Thomson's
pioneering set.  Thomson did us a great service, but his were not
definitive readings.  Right now, Handley may be the best Bax conductor
alive, and it was imperative to get his views on Bax symphonies on disc.

>One thing for sure.  British record companies do so much better than
>their U.S. counterparts in honoring its native composers.  The best we
>seem to be able to do is have Naxos distribute Piston and Diamond music
>from the Delos 'reject' bag, old recordings from the Louisville Symphony
>Orchestra, and a Ukranian orchestra performing Paul Creston's symphonies.

Good points.

>However, our professional wrestlers can outsmart and outsmack their
>feeble competitors at will.  Actually, I'm not aware of any British
>wrestlers.  Are they all goofing off, listening to Chandos recordings?

No. They come to the US like many athletes.  What other country will
pay millions of dollars to athletes on the scale that the US does?

Roger Hecht <[log in to unmask]>