Shop Now

American Record Guide

London Myriad is composed of Julie Groves, flute, Fiona Joyce Myall, oboe, Nadia Wilson, clarinet, and Ashley Myall, bassoon. This is the first of a pair: the first release comprising already-written works for woodwind quartet and the second new commissions for the same instrumentation. Frank Bridge’s Divertimenti is a multi-faceted, multi-movement work that marries Bridge’s gentle colors with classical forms in its movements: Prelude, Nocturne, Scherzetto, and Bagatelle. Jean Françaix’s Quatuor uses instruments in delightful ways: listen for radically cute oboe turns and delicious lines in the clarinet. Richard Rodney Bennett’s Travel Notes 2 is a favorite here. ‘In an air-balloon’ (I) gives an air of a carefree, sunny, gentle transport-via- air. ‘In a helicopter’ (II) is in high contrast to I, with whirling, incessant lines in all instruments that constantly overlap each other. Jacques Ibert’s Deux Mouvements is an uplifting, jewel-like set of short works. London Myriad has done a tremendous job here of programming: all of these pieces are classics in their own right. This is a great disc of spectacular performances; keep an eye out for their next record!