English String Miniatures Vol 6 / Sutherland, Royal Ballet

$19.99
Label
Naxos
Release Date
September 26, 2006
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      VARIOUS
    • ORCHESTRA / ENSEMBLE
      Royal Ballet Sinfonia
    • PERFORMER
      Sutherland
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      September 26, 2006
    • UPC
      747313275328
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      8557753
    • LABEL
      Naxos
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      1
    • GENRE
      Orchestral & Symphonic
    Works ⌄

    1. I. Scherzo

      Composer: Gustav Holst

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    2. II. Nocturne

      Composer: Gustav Holst

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    3. III. March

      Composer: Gustav Holst

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    4. Chacony in G Minor, Z. 730 (arr. B. Britten)

      Composer: Henry Purcell

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    5. Rosa Mundi

      Composer: Paul Lewis

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    6. I. Prelude

      Composer: Adam Carse

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    7. II. Air

      Composer: Adam Carse

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    8. III. Dance

      Composer: Adam Carse

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    9. IV. Song

      Composer: Adam Carse

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    10. V. Finale

      Composer: Adam Carse

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    11. Bethlehem Down (arr. P. Lane)

      Composer: Peter Warlock

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    12. I. Cuckmere Haven

      Composer: Paul Carr

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    13. II. Cornish Air

      Composer: Paul Carr

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    14. III. The Hunt Gathering

      Composer: Paul Carr

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    15. Waltz in E Minor

      Composer: William Lloyd Webber

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    16. No. 1. Molto lento

      Composer: Lionel Sainsbury

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    17. No. 2. Mesto e semplice

      Composer: Lionel Sainsbury

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    18. I. Overture

      Composer: Malcolm Lipkin

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    19. II. Ballade

      Composer: Malcolm Lipkin

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland

    20. III. Dance-finale

      Composer: Malcolm Lipkin

      Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia

      Conductor: Gavin Sutherland


These things are almost always pleasant--after all, if there's one thing English composers have done well since the beginning of time it is to write appealing, affecting, idiomatic music for strings. Although with Volume 6 in this smartly organized English String Music series the selections may not be uniformly of the first rank, what's not to like here, from Holst's typically well-crafted, traditionalist Moorside Suite (first written for brass) and Purcell's sturdy, stylish Chacony in G minor, to Paul Lewis' melancholy film-score-ish Rosa Mundi and Paul Carr's three-movement A Very English Music (with the "very English" subtitles Cuckmere Haven, Cornish Air, and The Hunt Gathering). Philip Lane's string arrangement of Peter Warlock's beloved Christmas carol Bethlehem Down is a gem, and William Lloyd Webber's Waltz in E minor is a delightfully skittish, meandering take on the traditional dance.


Most sophisticated musically are Lionel Sainsbury's Two Nocturnes and Malcolm Lipkin's From Across La Manche, the latter a substantial (15-plus minutes) work from 1998 that's thoroughly of its idiom, full of good, skillfully developed ideas, and deserving of serious attention by orchestras, listeners, and concert programmers. And thankfully, Gavin Sutherland and his Royal Ballet Sinfonia have chosen to give all of these works their own careful, enthusiastic attention, resulting in one more well-played, eminently listenable addition to this ongoing series (Classicstoday has reviewed three of the earlier releases--see Search Reviews). Highly recommended--and fine sound too!
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com