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Naxos

Hely-Hutchinson: A Carol Symphony / Sutherland, Prague Philharmonic

$13.99
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Details

Composer
HELY-HUTCHINSON
Artist
Gavin, Sutherland
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Oct 01, 2003
Catalog #
8557099
UPC
747313209927

About

There's nothing like Christmas to bring out a composer's more unapologetically clever and enthusiastically indulgent, prodigiously inventive ideas, in apparent realization of childhood's most extravagant fantasies and enchanted imaginings, to say nothing of providing a wonderful excuse for an artist to simply go happily and uninhibitedly wild. The collection of Christmas-inspired orchestral "fantasies" on this CD is certain to become one of your favorite holiday listening traditions as you join these five composers in an upbeat--and sometimes unconventional--celebration of some of the season's most familiar Christmas carols and songs.

Of course, you can treat the material in a variety of ways, from the more straightforward yet impressively adroit fantasias on easily recognizable (if often rhythmically or melodically altered) tunes offered in Bryan Kelly's five-movement Improvisations on Christmas Carols to Victor Hely-Hutchinson's more deliberate attempt at symphonic style and structure in A Carol Symphony, where he actually incorporates carols such as Adeste fideles, God rest ye merry gentlemen, The Coventry Carol, The first nowell, and Here we come a-wassailing into a legitimate four-movement theme-and-development framework

At the program's mid-point we're treated to a string-orchestra arrangement (by composer and liner-note writer Philip Lane) of Peter Warlock's famed carol Bethlehem Down, followed by Lane's own three-movement Wassail Dances from 1973. This latter work shows a fine command of orchestral color and a healthy respect for the power of rhythm and momentum. Finally, we hear Patric Standford's A Christmas Carol Symphony, a big, robust, ruddy-cheeked tribute to this most happy and optimistic of holidays that proudly and relentlessly exerts its sparkling, brassy, brightly colored atmosphere through a mélange of at least a dozen carols, from Deck the hall and Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen to Ding dong merrily on high, The holly and the ivy, and We wish you a merry Christmas. The City of Prague Philharmonic proves a first-rate interpreter of these scores, conveying all the music's exuberance and spirit with flawless technical prowess and Technicolor-grade contributions from the winds and brass. Conductor Gavin Sutherland deserves credit for inspired leadership in these all-too-rarely performed works--any one of which would make a guaranteed audience-pleasing addition to a holiday concert. Having these together on one budget-priced CD is truly a gift worthy of the season it celebrates. And Naxos complements the whole production with top-grade sound. Adeste fidelis!

-- David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 17 tracks

  1. 1 Allegro 02:22
    Track
    1
    Title
    Allegro
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Bryan George Kelly
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  2. 2 Andante non troppo 02:47
    Track
    2
    Title
    Andante non troppo
    Duration
    02:47
    Composer
    Bryan George Kelly
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  3. 3 Slowly 02:36
    Track
    3
    Title
    Slowly
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Bryan George Kelly
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  4. 4 Moderato 02:31
    Track
    4
    Title
    Moderato
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    Bryan George Kelly
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  5. 5 Allegro 02:20
    Track
    5
    Title
    Allegro
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Bryan George Kelly
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  6. 6 Allegro energico 04:11
    Track
    6
    Title
    Allegro energico
    Duration
    04:11
    Composer
    Victor Hely-Hutchinson
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  7. 7 Scherzo: Allegro molto moderato 06:06
    Track
    7
    Title
    Scherzo: Allegro molto moderato
    Duration
    06:06
    Composer
    Victor Hely-Hutchinson
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  8. 8 Andante quasi lento e cantabile 08:44
    Track
    8
    Title
    Andante quasi lento e cantabile
    Duration
    08:44
    Composer
    Victor Hely-Hutchinson
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  9. 9 Allegro energico come prima 05:41
    Track
    9
    Title
    Allegro energico come prima
    Duration
    05:41
    Composer
    Victor Hely-Hutchinson
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  10. 10 Bethlehem Down, a carol for strings 04:06
    Track
    10
    Title
    Bethlehem Down, a carol for strings
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Peter Warlock
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  11. 11 Vivace 02:22
    Track
    11
    Title
    Vivace
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Philip Lane
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  12. 12 Andantino 03:02
    Track
    12
    Title
    Andantino
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    Philip Lane
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  13. 13 Vivace 02:32
    Track
    13
    Title
    Vivace
    Duration
    02:32
    Composer
    Philip Lane
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  14. 14 Vivace 06:07
    Track
    14
    Title
    Vivace
    Duration
    06:07
    Composer
    Patric Standford
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  15. 15 Andante tranquillo 04:25
    Track
    15
    Title
    Andante tranquillo
    Duration
    04:25
    Composer
    Patric Standford
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  16. 16 Allegretto 02:58
    Track
    16
    Title
    Allegretto
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Patric Standford
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland
  17. 17 Rondo finale 05:31
    Track
    17
    Title
    Rondo finale
    Duration
    05:31
    Composer
    Patric Standford
    Ensemble
    Prague City Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Gavin Sutherland