Wood Symphony

Hugh Wood's symphony was a semi-random choice thanks to iplayer and I have to admit I was glad to listen to it again. In some ways its four movement structure seems quite conventional; in others it is a radical, exciting work showing how modernism can contribute to traditional symphonic form, much as Elliott Carter does in his mature symphonies. After listening to the symphony, I had to listen to Wood's piano concerto. It was interesting to compare how both works use a modernist language but can effectively use traditional tunes (in the concerto's case the Nat King Cole song, Sweet Lorraine). No youtube of the symphony, so here is Wood's string quartet.