Reviews

Brenton Broadstock has something to say (or hear) and he makes the four sections of the concerto melodic and listenable. I found the concerto thoroughly enjoyable. The orchestra plays very well for conductor Purcell. Excellent sound.

This record demonstrates the wide-ranging influence [McCabe] had on the musical community.

A feast of fine music by British and American composers, including the piano version of [Alan Rawsthorne’s] witty and entertaining ‘Practical Cats’ arranged by Peter Dickinson, which outshines Andrew Lloyd Webber’s settings of the same T.S Eliot poems. Clare Wilkinson is receiving rave reviews for her work and is a mezzo with beautiful tone; veteran baritone Mark Rowlinson is the fine reciter of ‘Cats’. Leading recorder player John Turner and highly regarded pianist Peter Lawson are joined by keyboard maestro Harvey Davies and the excellent Solem Quartet.

RECORDING OF THE MONTH. The playing and the singing by all the performers on this adventurous CD is ideal in every way. I loved Clare Wilkinson’s voice, especially in Rawsthorne’s Chamber Cantata. The Solem String Quartet play with clarity and commitment in the String Quartet. The recording is excellent. All in all, this is an extraordinary disc. RECORDING OF THE MONTH

Kakabadse has a strong command of writing for string instruments. She also has a well-developed ability to integrate diverse elements such as Arabic and medieval scales, embellishments with tonal harmony, drones, ostinatos, and various textures. Her melodic material is very attractive, and the pieces are rich and resonant. Throughout the CD, Sound Collective’s performance is superb. The quality of the recording is excellent.

Artyomov has a unique compositional voice that communicates in a musical language that’s all his own. I was enraptured by his mystical world of tones and colors. The Russian National Orchestra plays cleanly and precisely. These new recordings of Artyomov’s music from Divine Art are welcome, indeed.

Majestic and dramatic at times, reflective and interior at others… a composer with a unique vision. The release of these recordings of two of his finest symphonies, along with the additional works that are included and the excellence of the conductors and musicians, surely will be welcome. For those new to Artyomov’s works, they are an excellent introduction to a composer of genius (joint review of dda 25143 and 25144)

This suite has 11 movements and is a reflection of moods, external stimuli and events as felt by the composer one night after recording sessions. Demopoulos is one of those over-achievers: an established composer and pianist in contemporary classical music, he is an accomplished composer and performer of modern jazz. Pleasing, and technically (and imaginatively) impressive.

A true polyrhythmic sound festival. Roche clearly has a feeling for the rich world of Fox’s music for clarinet and plays the compositions one by one in a very convincing way.

[A] generous 2CD collection. The songs are well crafted and… they are pleasant to listen to.

It’s truly beautiful in places and leaves your mind relaxed and in the present. All in all, a thought-provoking album.

The music is often technically demanding. Its content is highly varied, and Mattheson had an unusual ability to incorporate really fine melodies into the format of the baroque suite. His style is personal, and his keyboard virtuosity clear. Both are equally true of the player in this recording. Every fresh performance is not just to be warmly welcomed, but is really valuable. This is a very attractive set, which will help to give greater exposure to an unfamiliar composer of great character.

This disc is fully loaded. Everyone associated with this disc brings both high skill and poignant feeling to this musical treasury. This is a CD that appeals to several constituencies. The liner essay is well worth the read. It’s packed with useful information that enhances the experience.

I enjoyed both electronic works. Mulvey’s attractive and satisfying exploration of this unique sound world… is music to sit back to, close one’s eyes and simply enjoy. ) I enjoyed the sheer simplicity of [Fox’s] highly meditative work: I did not want it to end.

There is a wide variety of musical styles presented here, including jazz, avant-garde classical and simple musings. I was impressed by the playing of these pieces, which typically sounds extremely complex and technically demanding. The result is impressive and enjoyable.

Fox responds to a number of intriguing stimuli from art to mathematical equations [and] explores every aspect of the instrument’s capabilities in terms of pitch, rhythm, and timbre, consistently stretching limits in the pursuit of engaging musical soundscapes. Heather Roche responds to the challenge admirably with tour de force commitment and skill, giving all of these works performances for which any composer would be grateful. The standard of musicianship is exemplary. The disc is a valuable and welcome addition to the Fox discography.

Lefanu’s Invisible Places (1986) is a remarkable and succinct clarinet quintet. The major work, however, is Mandala 3. The musical treatment ranges far and wide, but [Lumsdaine’s] style is unified and the effect haunting. This is a work that stays long in the memory. Fine performances throughout by the marvellous group Gemini and the various soloists.

Blunt is a refined and approachable composer working in a tonal idiom not a little influenced by the harmonic ambiguities of Scriabin. The substantial, three-movement concerto is reminiscent of Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and quite a lot of late Scriabin. The four-movement symphony may be relatively brief, but it belongs firmly in the British symphonic tradition.

Madeleine Mitchell has assembled works by her roughly contemporary British composers. She inspired many of them, and all receive on this disc their recorded premieres. There’s so much here that something’s almost bound to reach a receptive audience. Recommended.

A splendid compilation on two very generously filled discs, complete with printed texts in the well-written and informative booklet that comes with them. In fact this is an extraordinarily varied and intelligently chosen program featuring a wide range of musical styles. Everything is written very well for the voice, and each song is an apt setting of its chosen poem. This is a set I shall return to often. It is recommended enthusiastically.