Orchestral Works Vol. 4

Abstract

Despite its fairy-tale like name, this tone poem (dedicated to Sir John Barbirolli) is not a children's piece. It is, however, almost a test piece, being written in 1931 between the Third and Fourth Symphonies when the enigma of symphonic form and the quest for perfection had almost become obsessions in the composer's mind. It seems that Bax may have paid little attention to the detail of this piece, concentrating instead on its overall form, since the manuscript contains uncharacteristically loose expression marks and timing instructions.

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