This release by the
Scottish National Symphony Orchestra
under conductor
Tony Rowe
garnered a good deal of attention in 2000 when it first appeared. However, that hasn't translated into increased awareness of composer
William Henry Fry
(1813-1864), the first American to write large-scale orchestral works and, one learns here, possibly the first composer anywhere to write for the saxophone, in the so-called
Santa Claus Symphony
(in full:
Santa Claus, Christmas Symphony
). That work is hardly restricted to Santa Claus, a colorful work encompassing the birth of Christ, a Christmas party, a traveler lost in a snowstorm, Santa dropping down a chimney, a woodwind serenade, including the soprano saxophone, and a finale with strings intoning
O Come, All Ye Faithful
. It is certainly in the great American tradition of too much of everything, but it is exceeded by the
Niagara Symphony
, in which
Fry
deploys 11 timpani and atonal swirling strings to depict the majesty of the falls. These works had a good deal of popularity at the time; Americans who looked to Germany as the font of musical wisdom disdained them, but the French conductor
Jullien
praised and programmed them on tour. The
Macbeth Overture
and the short piece
The Breaking Heart
are a bit less interesting, although they're competent works with hints of
Verdi
and
Berlioz
;
's métier was a spectacle. The brash quality of his music makes one think of
Ives
, although it is unlikely that
knew about them; by the end of the 19th century, Fry had been almost completely forgotten. This album remains a worthwhile attempt to revive him, and a major U.S. orchestra, perhaps at a Fourth of July concert, could do wonders with this unusual repertory. ~ James Manheim