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Nimbus

Suk, Dvorak & Janacek: Orchestral Works

$16.99

Details

Composer
Antonin Dvorak, Leos Janacek, Josef Suk
Artist
English String Orchestra
Format
CD
Label
Nimbus
Released
Mar 20, 2026
Catalog #
NI7114
UPC
0710357711428

About

It was through a chance hearing by Nimbus founder, Numa Labinsky, that William Boughton came to visit Nimbus in 1982. Numa had been checking the quality of LPs going through the manufacturing plant. He liked what he heard on one of them by a new string orchestra called the Vivaldi Ensemble with William Boughton. The meeting happened, discussions went very well and the orchestra - renamed English String Orchestra - made it's first Nimbus recording on 31 May 1983. A potpourri featuring harpist Susan Drake 'Music for Harp and Strings', Sadly this recording, a digital pioneer, has degraded beyond repair. The next recording was an altogether grander affair; popular string orchestra works of Elgar, made in the Great Hall of Birmingham University. The orchestra under William's direction quickly became a regular feature of Nimbus's releases, as did the Great Hall. The relationship was so close and so active that it might have appeared to be a house band - except that the orchestra and it's music director had a rich and busy concert life quite independently of their work in the studio. Neither William nor I recall there being any particular reason why this recital was held back. However, I believe the following chronology of events holds a clue. Just two months after this record we were back in the Great Hall to record an album of Butterworth (A Shropshire Lad, The Banks of Green Willow, Two English Idylls), Parry (Lady Radnor's Suite) and Bridge (Suite for Strings). When it was released, particularly in the USA, it became the orchestra's, and Nimbus's calling-card, instantly racking-up chart successes, a top spot in the Billboard 100 and endless radio play. In those days classical radio in the US stretched from coast-to-coast, so not wanting to miss an opportunity our American agent put William and me on a trans-American PR tour. The obvious question came from all sides - 'what's your follow-up?' the only possible answer being 'more English music'. Finzi, Delius, Holst, Tippett and Britten were the order of the day. Josef Suk, Antonin Dvorak and Leos Janacek have waited a long time for their day in the sun. © Adrian Farmer

Tracklist 13 tracks

  1. 1 I. Andante con moto 04:34
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Andante con moto
    Duration
    04:34
    Composer
    Josef Suk II
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  2. 2 II. Allegro, ma non troppo e grazioso 05:08
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegro, ma non troppo e grazioso
    Duration
    05:08
    Composer
    Josef Suk II
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  3. 3 III. Adagio - Più andante - Tempo I 07:41
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Adagio - Più andante - Tempo I
    Duration
    07:41
    Composer
    Josef Suk II
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  4. 4 IV. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo presto - Vivace 06:17
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo presto - Vivace
    Duration
    06:17
    Composer
    Josef Suk II
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  5. 5 Nocturne in B Major, Op. 40, B. 47 06:43
    Track
    5
    Title
    Nocturne in B Major, Op. 40, B. 47
    Duration
    06:43
    Composer
    Antonín Dvořák
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  6. 6 No. 1 in A Major: Moderato 03:12
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 1 in A Major: Moderato
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    Antonín Dvořák
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  7. 7 No. 2 in D-Flat Major: Allegro vivace 02:58
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 2 in D-Flat Major: Allegro vivace
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Antonín Dvořák
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  8. 8 I. Moderato 03:34
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Moderato
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  9. 9 II. Adagio 03:55
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    03:55
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  10. 10 III. Andante con moto 01:17
    Track
    10
    Title
    III. Andante con moto
    Duration
    01:17
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  11. 11 IV. Presto 03:06
    Track
    11
    Title
    IV. Presto
    Duration
    03:06
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  12. 12 V. Adagio 03:34
    Track
    12
    Title
    V. Adagio
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton
  13. 13 VI. Andante 04:05
    Track
    13
    Title
    VI. Andante
    Duration
    04:05
    Composer
    Leoš Janáček
    Ensemble
    English String Orchestra
    Conductor
    William Boughton