Bliss: The Composer Conducts

BBC Northern Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Bliss, Arthur, London Symphony Orchestra, Ogdon, John

ARIADNE 5039

50th Anniversary Tribute

Sir Arthur Bliss (1891 – 1975) was an excellent conductor of his own music, but he sadly made only a limited number of commercial recordings.

SOMM celebrates the 50th anniversary of Bliss’s death with a 2-CD set of important archive performances, all but two of which he didn’t record commercially, making them of particular interest.

These live performances, mostly recorded at the BBC Proms and not previously made available, are skilfully remastered by long-time SOMM collaborator and executive producer, Lani Spahr, whose recent 6-volume “Bruckner from the Archives” received no less than two Editor’s Choices from Gramophone magazine.

Works:

•Bliss: A Colour Symphony
•Arthur Bliss
-I. Purple. The Colour of Amethysts, Pageantry, Royalty and Death
-II. Red. The Colour of Rubies, Wine, Revelry, Furnaces, Courage and MAgic
-III. Blue. The Colour of Sapphires, Deep Water, Skies, Loyalty and Melancholy
-IV. Green. The Colour of Emeralds, Hope, Youth, Joy, Spring and Victory
•Bliss: Piano Concerto in B-Flat Major, Op. 58, F. 108
•Bliss: March, F. 94 "The Phoenix"
•Bliss: Concerto for 2 Pianos & Orchestra, F. 110 (Arr. for Piano 3 Hands & Orchestra by Clifford Phillips)
•Bliss: Mêlée fantasque, F. 119

CD

SOMM Recordings

6.06.2025

758871503921