New Duttons for July release

[Dundonnell]

Can I sound like a real ignoramus and ask Chadwick's Christian name? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with him.

http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,2716.msg31582.html#msg31582

[musiclover]

Can't see myself why the Godard PC's would have been better on the RPC list. For my money the Dutton sound is better and Hyperion wouldn't have used the amazing Victor Sangiorgio and that would indeed have been a shame. What a discovery!
I can't wait for the 2nd disc. Hope it's the same performers as the 1st.

[eschiss1]

No apologies necessary - there have been several composing Chadwicks (look in this list for example, with links to scans of about 40 works by J. (John?) M. Chadwick, etc.) just as there have been several composing Paines, not just John Knowles Paine, though some of the others may have been close relatives...), though so far as we know at this point, of them only George Whitefield Chadwick was a master of his craft (and arguably a genius, I'd say )

Then again, finding out that there were others too (if it proves to be so, anyway... ) is part of what this forum is about too.

[chill319]

Just for the record, there were _two_ George W. Chadwicks composing music in New England during the late 19th century.

[eschiss1]

That doesn't make things _easier_

[Dundonnell]

My understanding-derived from John McCabe's website-is that the works Dutton has recorded for release are in fact the chamber orchestral pieces "Les Martinets Noirs" for two violins and strings(2003), "Rainforest I" for ten instruments(1984) and "Rainforest II" for trumpet and eleven strings(1987).

[FBerwald]

Where are these so called July releases. Nothing has come up on the Amazon or for that matter the Dutton site.

[Alan Howe]

Why the rush? It's still July!

[Jimfin]

The February releases didn't come up till March on the Dutton site, and they take even longer to get onto Amazon. But I always order direct from Dutton: they are excellent and quick

[BFerrell]

It's usually mid to late in the month before Dutton puts the new items up.

[BFerrell]

Dutton advised me today it MAY be early August or late July. They can be very secretive!

[bulleid_pacific]

The new releases are now listed at the Dutton website  - http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/#new_epoch2

I've ordered the Godard and the Chadwick - they look delightful.

[Mark Thomas]

The Chadwick is a very rewarding CD, chock full of worthwhile discoveries. Cleopatra in particular impressed me - a true large-scale symphonic poem with more than a hint of impressionism and plenty of incident. The Pastoral Prelude is far from being "cowpat music" - it's vibrantly upbeat and joyful, whereas the Elegiac Overture Adonais has a moody, brooding character. The BBC Concert Orchestra, which sometimes sounds as if it needs a few more strings in particular, rise to the challenge of these works. Even Cleopatra, which employs a much larger orchestra than the other two, doesn't sound underpowered. The Sinfonietta, which wasn't new to me, gets a nicely crisp performance. Thoroughly recommended.

[Mark Thomas]

If I'm not so immediately enthusiastic about the Godard disc it's not because of the performances or sound, both of which strike me as top notch. Victor Sangiorgio in particular is a fabulous pianist and he makes the best case possible for the two concerted works here. I was hoping that the Piano Concerto No.2 would come over as a stronger work than it does in an old radio recording I have but, for me at least, it remains pretty and engaging but ultimately unsubstantial. The watered down exoticism of the Fantaisie Persane inevitably reminded me of Saint-Saën's Fifth Piano Concerto and that's no bad thing. It's a very attractive, glittery piece in two movements but don't go looking for any profundity. Of the purely orchestral works, the six short pieces in two suites extracted from his opera Jocelyn are uniformly polished and tuneful but it was the Overture to the early (1882) opera Les Guelfs which struck me as the strongest work on the CD. It's slow-fast-slow structure gives it a clear narrative arc, the material is strongly characterised and Godard's orchestration is more direct and functional than in the other works. If they are gorgeously gaudy silk, this is honest unadorned linen. It's a shame in a way that it is programmed first!

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Apologies if this smacks of pure advertising: my intention is purely to benefit friends on the Forum (at least in the UK) and not to promote any commercial interest.

And after that prolegomenon? I have just obtained all the new Dutton releases from HMV at £6.00 per CD, and post free.

Now head down for some serious listening. Not too sure if, for example, John McCabe counts as a 'romantic' composer. But a polite two fingers held up in disdain against pettifogging distinctions since McCabe has brought immense pleasure in the past, and all five new Duttons obtained at such a price certainly spreads a romantic glow across my features.