Robin Stevens: Prevailing Winds
The British composer Robin Stevens is a great talent waiting to be discovered by the global music community. His varied, stimulating and expressive work is exemplified by this collection of music for wind instruments, ranging from the jolly and accessible (yet very difficult to play) Concert Rondo to the darker, deeper and meaningful Grief’s Portrait.
Stevens has a brilliant touch, and also is an excellent pianist, cellist and guitarist and plays all three instruments here, alongside some of the foremost instrumentalists from the musical hotspot of Manchester, England: John Bradbury (principal clarinet, BBC Philharmonic); John Turner (recorderist: Academy of Ancient Music etc.); Richard Simpson (principal oboe, BBC Symphony), Janet Simpson (former principal keyboardist, Hallé Orchestra); and wonderful soloists Sarah Miller (flutes); Helen Peller (bassoon) and Lindsey Stoker (horn).
Track Listing
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Robin Stevens (b.1958):
- Oceanic Lullaby (2:36)
- Concert Rondo (recorder version) (4:09)
- Sicilienne for Gillian (5:15)
- O Brave New World (6:26)
- Three Epigrams - I. Foreboding (0:38)
- Three Epigrams - II. Gentle Lament (0:36)
- Three Epigrams - III. Clockwork Toy (1:15)
- A Soldier's Prayer (4:21)
- Reflections on a Scottish Theme (2:42)
- Pandora's Box (7:45)
- Variations on a Twelve-Note Theme (2:14)
- Sound and Silence (2:51)
- Suite Ecossaise - Jig (1:53)
- Waltz for Pierrot (2:19)
- Grief's Portrait (3:30)
- At a Tangent (4:54)
- Clarinetissimo! (3:20)
- Suite Ecossaise - Berceuse (2:10)
- Concert Rondo (oboe version) (4:16)
- Contemplation (4:38)
- Coquette (1:43)
- An Uneasy Dialogue (5:46)
- Conversations (3:51)
- An Interrupted Waltz (3:46)
- Sweet Soufflé (3:02)
Reviews
“Enjoyable mixed bag of short works… a diverting collection of music. It’s an interesting programme and fans of instruments that usually do not come to the fore will enjoy it.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“A high level of musical imagination, combined with skilled and involved performances from all participants and a clean, well-balanced recording. Stevens’s musical grammar is relatively conservative, but it is not lacking in originality or personality … very enjoyable.
” —Henry Fogel
“I enjoyed this. I particularly liked the music with piano, as these pieces showed off his adventurous harmony. These miniatures are bursting with ideas moving rapidly between thorny, moody dissonance and sweet 19th Century romanticism.
” —Nathan Faro
“World première recordings of twenty-three woodwind miniatures by Robin Stevens. Some of the pieces are as astonishing as they are attractive. [A] hugely revelatory parade of woodwind instruments.
” —Alan Cooper
“This new release from Divine Art is typically very enjoyable… [a] diverse and variable selection of wind music… excellent introduction to Robin Stevens’ music. I cannot fault the sound quality here and the playing in every case is enthusiastic, committed and technically convincing.
” —John France
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