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Blake: Orchestral Music
SOMM Recordings

Blake: Orchestral Music

$20.99

Details

Composer
Howard Blake
Artist
English Northern Philharmonia, Howard Blake
Format
CD
Label
SOMM Recordings
Released
Jan 05, 2024
Catalog #
SOMMCD 0678
UPC
748871067820

About

SOMM Recordings is delighted to announce the label debut of the acclaimed British composer Howard Blake with a disc of his orchestral music to mark his 85th birthday. Blake himself is heard at the piano and conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra, with Paul Daniel also conducting the English Northern Philharmonia. Internationally recognised as the composer of The Snowman's 'Walking on Air', Blake's prolific and wide-ranging achievements extend into symphonies, concertos, oratorios and music for solo piano to embrace the concert hall, dance stage and cinema screen. This focus on his orchestral music which includes four first recordings begins with his single- movement Symphony No.1 in it's 1990 revision, a richly variegated work of vivid images and, as it's title has it, Impressions of a City. A work of dazzling, multi-faceted dimensions and execution, it is, writes Robert Matthew-Walker in his authoritative booklet notes, an "organic, truly symphonic, composition from a genuine creative figure". Concert Dances, for piano and orchestra, from 1992 and featuring Blake conducting from the piano, comprises nine relatively short dance movements in various styles to vivacious effect. Alluding to Eleanor of Aquitaine, 1979's The Court of Love is a ravishing concert suite of three movements drawn from Blake's ballet score for choreographer Lynn Seymour marking Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee two years previously. The suite taken from his soundtrack to the 1987 film A Month in the Country shows Blake at his most exquisite and expressive in a score, says Matthew-Walker, that "surely belongs in any collection of 20th-century English music for string orchestra". SOMM's long championing of British composers includes recent discs devoted to Stephen Dodgson (SOMMCD 0659; 0673), Penelope Thwaites (SOMMCD 0612; 0672), Kenneth Leighton (SOMMCD 0667), Holst (SOMMCD 279), Ian King (SOMMCD 0649) and Elgar (SOMMCD 278).

Tracklist 18 tracks

  1. 1 Symphony No. 1, Op. 42, "Impressions of a City" 14:33
    Track
    1
    Title
    Symphony No. 1, Op. 42, "Impressions of a City"
    Duration
    14:33
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  2. 2 No. 1. Parade 00:54
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 1. Parade
    Duration
    00:54
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  3. 3 No. 2. Slow Ragtime 01:39
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 2. Slow Ragtime
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  4. 4 No. 3. Jump 00:53
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 3. Jump
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  5. 5 No. 4. Medium Rock 01:48
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 4. Medium Rock
    Duration
    01:48
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  6. 6 No. 5. Folk Ballad 02:24
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 5. Folk Ballad
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  7. 7 No. 6. Boogie 01:00
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 6. Boogie
    Duration
    01:00
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  8. 8 No. 7. Jazz Waltz 02:34
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 7. Jazz Waltz
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  9. 9 No. 8. Cha-cha 01:54
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 8. Cha-cha
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  10. 10 No. 9. Galop 00:53
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 9. Galop
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Performer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  11. 11 I. The Enchantress 06:16
    Track
    11
    Title
    I. The Enchantress
    Duration
    06:16
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  12. 12 II. The Maiden and the Troubadour 07:07
    Track
    12
    Title
    II. The Maiden and the Troubadour
    Duration
    07:07
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  13. 13 III. The Queen 06:21
    Track
    13
    Title
    III. The Queen
    Duration
    06:21
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Howard Blake
  14. 14 I. Larghetto (Idyll) 03:04
    Track
    14
    Title
    I. Larghetto (Idyll)
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    English Northern Philharmonia
    Conductor
    Paul Daniel
  15. 15 II. Alla marcia 01:21
    Track
    15
    Title
    II. Alla marcia
    Duration
    01:21
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    English Northern Philharmonia
    Conductor
    Paul Daniel
  16. 16 III. Adagio (Elegy) 03:55
    Track
    16
    Title
    III. Adagio (Elegy)
    Duration
    03:55
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    English Northern Philharmonia
    Conductor
    Paul Daniel
  17. 17 IV. Scherzando 01:35
    Track
    17
    Title
    IV. Scherzando
    Duration
    01:35
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    English Northern Philharmonia
    Conductor
    Paul Daniel
  18. 18 V. Andante espressivo 03:11
    Track
    18
    Title
    V. Andante espressivo
    Duration
    03:11
    Composer
    Howard Blake
    Ensemble
    English Northern Philharmonia
    Conductor
    Paul Daniel