Anthony Burgess – The Man and his Music
One of the discoveries that we at Divine Art/Metier love: the fact that Anthony Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange – and many fine novels – was also a busy composer, writing among other works several for recorder. Here we present the first recordings of some of these, and works by 15 other composers in a wide and varied set of styles, most of which are also premiere recordings and a substantial body of work for this increasingly popular instrument. Check out the artist profile for several more fine recorder albums by John Turner.
Track Listing
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Anthony Burgess:
- Sonatina for recorder and piano - I. Allegro (3:09)
- Sonatina for recorder and piano - II. Andante lugubre (2:35)
- Sonatina for recorder and piano - III. Allegro molto (3:24) Nicholas Marshall:
- Sonata for recorder and piano - I. Con moto (5:12)
- Sonata for recorder and piano - II. Adagio molto (5:25)
- Sonata for recorder and piano - III. Vivo (3:11) Alan Gibbs:
- Blithe Spirit (4:14) Gordon Crosse:
- The Thing with Feathers (2:56) Wilfred Josephs:
- Sonatine, Op. 4 - I. Preambule (1:23)
- Sonatine, Op. 4 - II. Elegie (1:15)
- Sonatine, Op. 4 - III. Caprice (1:30) Barry Ferguson:
- The Untamed has a Language but no Words (6:02) David Dubery:
- Sonata for recorder and piano - I. Andantino con moto (2:28)
- Sonata for recorder and piano - II. Lento e calmo (2:54)
- Sonata for recorder and piano - III. Vivace con delicatezza (3:23) Alan Rawsthorne:
- Interludes from Hamlet (9:14) Roy Heaton Smith:
- Sonatina alla Fantasia, Op. 23 (7:58) Anthony Burgess:
- Tre Pezzetti - No. 1 Allegro (1:27)
- Tre Pezzetti - No. 2 Allegretto (1:02)
- Tre Pezzetti - No. 3 Allegro (0:53) Herbert Murrill:
- Sarabande (3:42) Peter Pope:
- Sonatina for recorder and piano - I. Allegro molto moderato (2:24)
- Sonatina for recorder and piano - II. Lento molto (1:32)
- Sonatina for recorder and piano - III. Allegro molto alla danza (2:35) Dick Blackford:
- Sonata alla Danza - I. Alla bourrée (4:10)
- Sonata alla Danza - II. Alla sarabande (3:35)
- Sonata alla Danza - III. Alla jig (4:12) Christopher Wright:
- Sonata for recorder and piano - I. Scherzoso (5:03)
- Sonata for recorder and piano - II. Cantilena (5:5)
- Sonata for recorder and piano - III. Allegro con brio e deciso (3:39) Matyas Seiber:
- Pastorale (3:34) John Sullivan:
- Joie de Vivre (3:24) Anthony Burgess:
- Sonata No. 1 in C for recorder and piano - I. Allegro moderato (3:40)
- Sonata No. 1 in C for recorder and piano - II. Largo (2:31)
- Sonata No. 1 in C for recorder and piano - III. Allegro vivace (2:25)
- Siciliano (2:12)
Reviews
“That [Burgess] had a good inner ear is undeniable from the sound of his works.. tuneful, pleasant but inconsequential. Beautiful constructions, beautiful playing, beautiful recordings.
” —Paul Jackson
“Sometimes downright funny, [the recorder] can also move us with unexpected pathos. The performance standard here is remarkably high. Judicious balancing on the side of the recording team means the recorder line comes through perfectly at all times. A stimulating release.
” —Colin Clarke
“It is with Burgess’s musical activities that this CD is concerned. His musical achievements are considerable. Each CD contains two compositions by Burgess as well as a wide-ranging selection of pieces by contemporary composers. {lists works with much praise in detail}. This is a major success. From the playing of both the soloists that is perfect, through the liner-notes, the design of the CD and the selection of the programme, I am totally impressed.
” —John France
“[Burgess wears] a pretty impressive composer’s hat in addition to his literary one…as a programme [the set] makes for an intriguing byway.
” —Roger Thomas
“Turner and Davies hold the listener’s attention through it all, giving thoroughly committed performances. This recording might make an enlightening gift for an avid reader or fan of the notorious Kubrick film.
” —Todd Gorman
