Reading through a number blogs, I observed that a number of people were eager to see this lp resurrected. Well, here is is! William Boyce's delightful Op. 2 symphonies played quite stylishly by Jorge Faerber and the Wurttemburg Chamber Orchestra.
I've always found these works a delight - if you like the "spirit" of Handel or Arne, these little gems will make you smile. Framed in a Handelian mode, they go a step beyond Handel and are more "English" for Boyce was, unlike Handel, a man of the countryside and he absorbed the native jigs and other country dances into ihis music. What we have then is a rather rustic temper infused with the style loved in the capital. Boyce, of course, is no Handel in an intellectual sense but his output here is tuneful and stylish, all the same.
Most of you know Jorge Faerber and his Wurttemburg orchestra from the scores of recordings released on Vox throughout the 60's and 70's. Too bad that precious few have made it to cd since his readings are always well prepared and musically coherent. The sound he gets from modern instruments really makes a difference in Boyce. It is fuller and, unlike Pinnock or Hogwood, Faerber is not afraid to use a bit of rubato here and there - I believe this really assists in the presentation of this delightful, yet admittedly, second tier music. You be the judge. Paraphasing travel guru Rick Steves, "keep on listening!"
