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LY 0407
British Piano Concertos
Label Catalogue Number:
SRCD407
SRCD407
Running Time: 01:08:23
Release Date: April 2022
Originally recorded in April 2022
Originally recorded in April 2022
Genre:
Classical
Orchestral & Concertos
Classical
Orchestral & Concertos
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About
Smaller concertos for piano and modest orchestral forces were a feature of British composition in the first half of the 20th century. Often they were written for a special occasion, and typically vanished into oblivion thereafter. During the COVID period we were looking for things to record with small numbers of players, and stumbled across this treasury: short concertos written for entertainment that don’t outstay their welcome. The works on this album travel from the innocent pastiche of Geoffrey Bush’s tribute to Arne, Edmund Rubbra’s student essay, through the ‘Blues’ of Arthur Benjamin, the serial language of Humphrey Searle, the drama of Elizabeth Maconchy, and the bold humour of film composer John Addison. It is all great fun, and has never been recorded - apart from the Benjamin recorded just once, back in 1959. Simon Callaghan and Martyn Brabbins team-up to raise a smile, enjoying the lighter side of musical life.
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Reviews
Interpretation **** Sound Quality **** Repertoire Value *** Booklet ***
“… All in all, this is an entertaining overview of the work of British tone poets …”
Dr Michael Loos – Klassik.com – 16 September 2022
“Be forewarned: there aren’t any actual piano concertos here and one composer isn’t British, but don’t let that deter you from this disc’s pleasures… Pianist Simon Callaghan and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Martyn Brabbins sparkle in these varied works, all, except for Benjamin’s Concertino, here receiving their first-ever recordings.”
Michael Schulman – thewholenote.com – 23 September 2022
“… the performances are fine, the orchestral burdens none too demanding, and the solo playing balances drama and delight.”
Jonathan Woolf - MusicWeb-International.com – 1 June 2022
“… An important addition to the repertoire, presented in a sympathetic acoustic and with excellent notes …”
Harriet Smith – Gramophone magazine – June 2022
“… This is a very fine release on all counts, and it has much to offer indeed… Simon Callaghan, BBC NOW and Martyn Brabbins all give their best in this highly enjoyable and rewarding programme. Recommended …”
Hubert Culot – MusicWeb-International.com – 16 May 2022
Recommended
“… Simon Callaghan has done us proud in his promotion of this music. Martyn Brabbins and the Welsh orchestra, no strangers to British music of this period, play with style and sensitivity. For any lover of twentieth-century British music, this disc is a must-buy.”
Gary Higginson – MusicWeb-International.com – 27 April 2022
“… a tempting collection for lovers of British music.”
Barry Forshaw – CD Choice.co.uk – 21 April 2022
“This is an enjoyable programme of small-scale rarities… Simon Callaghan and the BBC NOW relish the many threads these works weave together, from Bush’s neo-Baroque traceries to Searle’s knotty little Concertante (1954), written at the request of Hermann Scherchen for students to perform, It is worlds away from the opening item, John Addison’s light Wellington Suite (1959) … Martyn Brabbins directs proceedings with his customary panache.”
Guy Rickards – International Piano – April 2022
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