Cliffe, Frederic: Symphony No. 1; Cloud & Sunshine
CDS 1055-2 Frederic Cliffe (1857-1931): Symphony No. 1 in C minor; Cloud & Sunshine. Malmö Opera Orchestra conducted by Christopher Fifield.
First English romantic on the Sterling label. Cliffe, who wrote very few works, was an intensely Bruckner-inspired composer with the same fondness of beautifully crafted theme work. The third movement is truly heaven. Cloud and Sunshine is also a quite interesting work - the beginning really sounds as if it could be played by an organ!
"The opening two-note motif that forms the symphony's rhythmic underpinning recalls Beethoven's Fifth; the jocular scherzo brims with Mendelssohnian exuberance, and the slow Ballade resounds with Wagnerian overtones. Grand Brucknerian brass chorales make startling appearances in the outer movements--really, something for everyone." - ClassicsToday.com