EM Records - new releases

[albion]

Following the great critical success of their first release (violin sonatas by Bowen, Bliss and Walford Davies) -



EM RECORDS EMR CD001

- another exciting disc from EM Records (the recording branch of the English Music Festival) is imminent: Holbrooke's Violin Sonata No.2 (original version) coupled with two works by Bantock, the unpublished Violin Sonata No.3 (1940) and the Viola Sonata (1919). The performers are again Rupert Luck and Matthew Rickard.

Bantock's first two violin sonatas and cello sonatas are available from Dutton (CDLX 7119 and CDLX 7107 respectively), so this release fills some important gaps. The Holbrooke score seems to be getting quite a lot of attention, with the Naxos release due out shortly and CPO scheduled to record the orchestral (Concerto) version!

[albion]

Two new releases appear to be available for order from EM Records -

Quilter - Piano Music (EMR CD002)

Holbrooke - Violin Sonata No.2; Bantock - Viola Sonata (EMR CD003)

There is no information yet as to track listings, but I understand that the Bantock disc also includes Violin Sonata No.3 (not mentioned on the cover image). It might be as well to await further details or contact EM for clarification.

[edurban]

Thanks, Albion.  The Bliss/ Bowen/Davies sonata disc is excellent music, very well played.  I look forward to this one...this pretty much covers the Holbrooke sonata/concerto, I think

David

[albion]

According to Presto the works included on each disc are -

EMR CD002

Quilter: Three Studies, Op. 4
Three Pieces for Piano, Op. 16
Two Impressions, Op. 19
Four Country Pieces, Op. 27
Where the Rainbow Ends - suite

EMR CD003

Bantock: Sonata in F major for Viola and Piano 'Colleen' - World Première Recording. Performed on Gustav Holst's viola
Holbrooke: Violin Concerto 'The Grasshopper' (Violin Sonata No. 2), Op. 59, 1917 version – Authorised Original Version

Bantock's Violin Sonata No.3 will possibly appear on a future disc - Rupert Luck is editing a first edition of the work, along with Ivor Gurney's Sonata in E flat and two further Sonatas by Walford Davies.


In the meantime, Bantock's final Violin Sonata is available on an inexpensive Regis release. This is a reissue of a 2000 Cala disc, which is also still available in it's original incarnation: http://www.calarecords.com/us/acatalog/info_CACD88031.html -

 

Regis RRC1376 or Cala CACD88031

Bantock: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C
Dunhill: Violin Sonata in F, Op. 50
Stanford: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 11
Susanne Stanzeleit (violin) & Gustav Fenyo (piano)

[albion]

Timings for EMR CD003 are as follows:

Holbrooke - Violin Sonata No.2 - 7:24; 9:23; 9:33 (compared with the Naxos 6:57; 8:41; 9:35)

Bantock - Viola Sonata - 13:34; 15:40; 10:48

with a total playing time of 67:01

So clearly the latter is a very substantial work indeed.

[chill319]

A warm recommendation from this corner for the Dunhill/Bantock/Stanford disk, which I play often.

[albion]

Advanced notice - the next EM issue will be the world premiere recording of Holst's The Coming of Christ (1927) -

City of London Choir / The Holst Orchestra/ Hilary Davan Wetton

EMR CD004

[albion]

New musicweb reviews:

EMR CD002 - http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Oct11/Quilter_emrcd002.htm

EMR CD003  - http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Oct11/Holbrooke_Bantock_EMRCD003.htm

[albion]

Most unfortunately, the English Music Festival site and all subsidiary pages (including EM Records) appear to have had to be taken down because of a malware infection.



Nevertheless, their three current releases continue to be available from most dealers, and the new Holst recording is due out shortly -

http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/pages/product/product.asp?ctgry=CD&prod=EMRCD004

[BFerrell]

Next release will be some Holst premieres for chorus and orchestra recorded at the festival.

[albion]

An enticing review at Musicweb - http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Nov11/Holst_Christ_EMRCD004.htm