Musical Opinion

(FIVE STARS)
Malcolm Lipkin (1932-2017) was a fine composer and this generously filled disc presents a rich selection from his chamber and instrumental output. The first four items are recent recordings for the Divine Art label. Cellist Nicholas Trygstad and pianist Janet Simpson capture the delicate blend of wistfulness and hope in Prelude and Dance (1987). The players are joined by John Turner for a gripping account of Naboth’s Vineyard, for recorder, cello and harpsichord (1982). This work carries the listener along by the sheer strength of its narrative and the humanity and palpable sense of moral outrage underpinning a passionately argued story of injustice and murder.

Interplay, for recorder, cello, harpsichord and percussion (1976) has a satisfying sense of formal balance: its two movements, the first fluent and hypnotic and the second serene and spacious, providing a natural foil for each other. In the capable hands of John Turner, The Journey, for solo recorder (2016) is a tribute to the composer John McCabe, which conveys much in its short playing time and acts as a distillation of Lipkin’s art. The final three items have been remastered from a 1985 Hyperion LP featuring members of the Nash Ensemble. Clifford’s Tower, for wind quintet and string trio (1977) is a powerful and heartfelt piece marking the massacre of the Jewish population of York in the 12th century. Pastorale, for horn and string quintet (1963, arr. 1979) finds the composer at his most relaxed and lyrical. The String Trio of 1964 is a tautly argued and idiomatically written score in which every note counts and it is well served in this authentic and persuasive performance. This satisfying, carefully planned composer portrait is warmly recommended.

—Paul Conway