British Composers

By James Jolly, eMusic Contributor

As mainland Europe turned away from the symphony in the 20th century (name a major Austro-German symphony, after Mahler, still in the regular repertoire), strong symphony traditions sprung up in Scandinavia (Nielsen and Sibelius) and Russia (Shostakovich and Prokofiev) . . . and the British Isles. And what made the UK so receptive and fertile to symphonic composition? The UK's orchestras — not only in the nation's capital but also in regional centres like Bournemouth,… more »