If I ever win the Mega Millions lottery (🤣) I'm sponsoring a two-week Bax Festival and play all the symphonies, tone poems and much other of the luscious music. I love this music - the most underrated and undeservedly neglected works out there.

At last, the "best of" series has returned! I've been waiting patiently. I love these videos.

Great video Dave. Your videos have been responsible for my love of Bax and Martinu. Thanks.

I haven't even watched this one and I already love it! I devoured your Bax symphony concert programs videos, and they inspired me to search out your views on Bax cycles. I was distressed to find that you hadn't released a Best Bax Cycles video yet, but now...well, all is right with the world. The world of Baxia, that is.

I’ve just finished collecting the individual Naxos cycle discs and really enjoying them

How can you possibly do this intro with a straight face? Brilliant! 😂😂

I have them all! Just love Bax! I'm holidaying on Planet Baxia this year 😃

I own the Thompson box, but this afternoon I ordered the Naxos box...looking forward 😊

THANKS FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC AND HEARTFELT SUPPORT FOR THIS WONDERFUL COMPOSER.LYRITA, NAXOS AND CHANDOS DESERVE ALL THE PRAISE THEY GET FOR ENABLING PEOPLE TO HEAR THIS MUSIC.YOUR TALKS ARE THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY.I AM NOT A SAD PERSON!MY GRATITUDE TO YOU IS BOUNDLESS AND I HOPE YOUR FANTASTIC TALKS CONTINUE FOR YEARS TO COME AS I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH.ROBERT J.PARRY,ACLE,NORFOLK,U.K.

I have collected the Naxos Bax orchestral works over the years and delighted to see them issued in a box. Alongside the Shostakovich, Bruckner and Arnold symphony cycles, this may be Naxos' best? (I do like the Hanson cycle also). And BTW, kudos to Naxos for affording many of us the ability to build collections through their historically great prices, which did fall below the premier labels, but alas no longer. Great stuff Dave!

I have all three of the complete sets. The Bryden Thomson recordings are more "blousy" and "back of hall" in their sound, but I find that they capture more of the magic of Bax's world. When I'm in the mood for Bax, Thomson's recordings are what I reach for. The Lloyd-Jones set sounds great, with a much closer and detailed presentation. It's high-energy and I enjoy the alternate vantage point. The Handley set is, I think, over-rated and relatively dull. I basically never listen to it.

I wasn't aware of the galactic wars between the Baxians and Bantockians. It'll be interesting to see which faction we send our Himars missiles to. Nonetheless, thanks to you, I delved more into Bax, having found my own collection only consisting of some Bryden Thomson and some sniglets. Now I have all the Handley, part of the Lloyd Jones and so far just the 1st of Myer Fredman, but the quest continues. Yours truly, again, from the Outer Galaxy Lounge, Kevin.

I got me a Bax box. Going to book my holiday to Baxia in the summer very soon.

Looking forward to a trip to planet Baxia😊

Still hoping, Dave, that one day you'll talk about Bax's chamber music - there's some great stuff on Naxos! Cannot understand why it isn't 'rated'....

Lyrita's Bax 5 is conducted by Raymond Leppard, not Norman Del Mar (he did no.6). For someone known for Baroque music Leppard knocks Bax right out of the ball park - he also did no.7.

Well,....given how well received the Thomson recordings of the symphonies were when released initially, I find it shocking, even inexplicable, that Chandos decided not only to discontinue that series, but to not have plans to reissue it. It is not so often that we come across a set bestowed with that high level of consistency in the execution of the playing, admirable level of artistry involved, and the recorded sound that remains demonstrative. And it is with the music that demands a lot to be brought off with that flair, imagination, vision, insight, and total commitment to the cause.

Let's don't stay away to long...we need our fix and your enthusiasm. ALL HAIL BAX!!!!!!🥳

Never ask me to pick between my Handley cycle and my Lloyd-Jones cycle... I love them both!!!

By the way, for Spring Fire (the composer somewhat considered it a symphony), now I recommend the Mark Elder-Hallé version more than the premiere recording by Handley on Chandos. The Elder one is one hell of a sleeper performance. It is astonishingly transparent and reveals so much details about orchestration, not the least the piano part.

As a "post-summary" to my lengthier comments below: in the 1970's...when record collecting was especially exciting (and frustrating) because there was SO LITTLE TO BE HAD, one could actually piece together a complete cycle of the Bax Symphonies, albeit not by a single conductor and orchestra. The main source was Lyrita (#1,2,5,6,7). 1st Symphony - Myer Fredman, London Phil 2nd : " " " " 3rd: Edward Downes, London Sym 4th: Vernon Handley, Guildford Phil 5th: Raymond Leppard, London Phil 6th: Norman del Mar, New Philharmonia 7th Raymond Leppard, London Phil It appears that Lyrita did not record #3 and 4, since the Downes and Handley already existed. Still, it was possible to assemble a "patchwork" cycle of these unique works back in the dark ages. LR

Can't disagree fundamentally with anything you say here, David, and as a long-time Baxaholic I'm grateful for your championship of him. Personally, if I had to choose one complete cycle I'd pick the Handley, followed by Thomson. The Lloyd-Jones sounds a bit airless and close-miked on my gear, good for hearing the details but short-changing the atmosphere. Agreed, the Lyrita recordings aren't to be missed and as others have mentioned there's a Downes recording of #3 available, although the recording is a bit muddy. For the Bax-curious, I'd recommend exploration of just about anything he wrote, perhaps with the exception of the film scores and ballets. Late Bax retains the craftsmanship but is a bit short on pizzazz. I'm hoping some day the Handley/Hatto recording of the Symphonic Variations will be re-issued, by far my favourite performance of that work. As for the Bax/Bantock feud, I'd stay out of it. Extremists on both sides are a bit skew-whiff. By the way, the bar in the Sheraton Baxia has been shut down. Too much bacchanalia.

I just remembered that in Mov I of the 3rd Symphony by Thomson, That Anvil Stroke in the climax sounds like a short electronic beep! I totally don't understand why!

Bantockia! 🤣🤣🤣 Here in the UK there remains prejudice against 20th century British tonal composers, with that stupid tired ignorant line about the 'cowpat school' (coined by Elizabeth Lutyens, who scrapes along the bottom of obscurity, despite the best efforts of the serialism fans) brought out with fatuous glee every time they're mentioned. We still hear nonsense about the VW Pastoral symphony (guys, the reference is to war and peace not meadows in summer, i mean have you actually ever heard the bloody piece?). Meanwhile, there are pockets of intense nerdy enthusiasm for Stanford and Parry symphonies, which is going a bit far, frankly, plus claims made for the greatness of Finzi, who is a pretty unenven composer. But there are great chunks of Arnold, Bax, Rubbra, Bridge which are overlooked, plus probably 90% of Holst. And that's before we move on to Carwithen, Bainton, Bliss, Alwyn, Moeran, Gipps. So much music, and so much indigenous neglect, partly because - or popularly attributed to - the post-war BBC focus on the new European avant-garde by William Glock, over homegrown composers still writing in older styles. It's barmy that generations later we still don't value our own music. But thank god for Chandos and Naxos, in particular, for their work to bring that music to the listening public.

Addendum, I already own the David Lloyd-Jones set on CD. I saw the entire DL-J set 1-7, £1.75. I panicked! I had to buy them. Rest assured, they will make a gift to somebody special.

Which is your favourite No 3 ? it poses a few challenges for collectors on vinyl, there being no Lyrita recording.We have Thomson/LPO on Chandos. But there is also Downes/LSO on RCA, Barbirolli/Hallé on vintage 1940's sound (EMI & Dutton on CD). if you look really hard there is an LP of Myers Fredman and the Sydney Symphony orchestra on ABC Records too

Arnold Bax is simply one of the greats in my book, I have the three complete sets (Handley, Thomson, Bryden-Thomas) and the incomplete Lyrita set, which I might add was partly funded in its production by the maverick film director Ken Russell, there is so much more to explore in this music in terms of colouration. I really would've thought that Neeme Jarvi would've wanted to record these pieces, just so he could add that bold streak of hot pink, or dull blue or an exciting green wherever. In this music there's really room for colouration, not really playing about with rubato as with Prokofiev (why is that waltz in the 7th always played like a dirge??!), but there's also a vast area of these accents to come out, Fredman did a great job in the 2nd, Thomson in the 1st and 7th was way beyond par. There are diamonds that need grinding and polishing correctly, the instructions are there in the score, it all just needs people who have the love and ingenuity to create that beautiful diadem that should be Bax' symphonic cycle.

100% d'accord 👍

It’s a shame Naxos didn’t have a recording of the Spring Fire Symphony to include in the box.

There is an hour long Vernon Handley talking about Bax on YT. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to post the link here?

My college trombone teacher pronounced the name as "Bahx". So, you have a Box Box.

Will there be a layover in Bantockia to give you an opportunity to do a repertoire video on Sir Granville?

What is the situation on Rubbra Centauri, or Delius Minor (a more difficult diplomatic portfolio since there are no symphonies)

How about a talk about the best Bax piano sonatas cycle? That, I think, is the real hardcore group of works by Bax. Even as a pseudo-Baxian, I can never survive the latter three piano sonatas. They are just difficult, maybe because they contain his harmony in a stripped-down medium, more in lack of a sense of layer that could soften the edge of his chromaticism.

do you have a Bax tone poems review?

Bax is sadly neglected in England, except possibly for Tintagel. It's a great shame.

It seems every composer needs either a bodyguard, personal driver, and also a lawyer, because they can not please everybody. :) In the past composers solved it well. They moved to Mountains or to countryside breathing fresh air and playing cards in local pub, or other activities.

It's November, 2023, so we should enjoy November Woods.

Hey Dave, what’s the politics aspect you are alluding to? Bax was obviously a great supporter of Irish independence, the 1916 Uprising and considered himself “Irish”, even though he was quintessentially English.

FYI: The Philadelphia Orchestra has NEVER played anything by Bax in their history,

For a moment I thought this was a star trek, star wars episode review??

I need to get into Bax, partially because I don’t want to be considered to be an anti-Baxxer.

You will have to hurry up listening to Bax music, because I'm afraid that Cancrizans will not save any of it.

Bax Box. HAHAHAHA