Unsung Composers

The Music => Recordings & Broadcasts => Topic started by: BFerrell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:28

Title: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:28
CDLX 7283        British Light Music Premieres Vol 6 (Hoddinott/ Mansel Thomas/ Addinsell etc)

7284                                  Foulds and Sainsbury Cello Concertos

7285                                  Edward German Vol 3

7286                                  Christ Wright Violin Conc; Vaughan Williams Sym 5 (world premiere rec of new edition by Peter Horton)

7287                                  Catoire and Sherwood Piano Concertos

7288                                  Frederick Austin: Richard II; Sea Venturers; Spring; Symphony



Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: albion on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:44
Excellent! Thanks for this information - I'll be getting at least four of these (Foulds, Sherwood, German and Austin).

:)

Do you have details of what will be on the Edward German disc (hopefully The Seasons)?

???
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Mark Thomas on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:45
The Catoire and Sherwood PCs combo may be an odd one (on paper at least) but if ever there was a "must buy"...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Peter1953 on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:46
Oh yes, the Catoire is definitely a must buy, whatever the coupling is  :D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Mark Thomas on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:48
OH, I'm very exited about both works.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:54
Hmmm ???

Some very interesting pieces here which will provide a lot of interesting and enjoyable listening :)

My only quibbles are firstly that the only two substantial works composed after 1945 are the Sainsbury and the Wright concertos which, with all respect to the two composers concerned, would not be at the top of many people's list of British concertos still unrecorded.
Secondly, the Frederick Austin works(the Symphony, 'Spring' and 'The Sea Venturers') have been recorded before by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic under Douglas Bostock on the Classico and RLPO labels. Surely with early 20th century British orchestral repertoire it would have been better to have recorded something new ??? ::)

Sorry to introduce a slightly negative note :( I repeat there IS a lot of good, perhaps very good, music on the Dutton list ;D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Saturday 28 January 2012, 15:39
Any info on what's on the Ed German disc? Not that it'll stop me ordering it...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Saturday 28 January 2012, 17:33
And the source of all this info is...?
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: JimL on Saturday 28 January 2012, 18:26
Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 28 January 2012, 17:33
And the source of all this info is...?
Rumors, innuendo, wild speculations and educated guesswork?  ;) ;D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: albion on Saturday 28 January 2012, 18:40
Quote from: JimL on Saturday 28 January 2012, 18:26
Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 28 January 2012, 17:33
And the source of all this info is...?
Rumors, innuendo, wild speculations and educated guesswork?  ;) ;D

Surely, the good magician never reveals his tricks...

:)

Whilst many of these latest releases will be mandatory purchases for me, as Colin has rightly pointed out there is a weighting towards the pre-war 'accessibles' in Dutton's A & R portfolio. It would be wonderful if they could strike more of a balance with unrecorded music by composers of such stature as Hoddinott, Cooke, Fricker, Gipps and Jones - then the company would really be a modern-day Lyrita!

;D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:05
I was very fortunate to uncover what I did. The source is very involved with the Dutton series.  If I must name a "source" I will not pass on any further information in the future.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: violinconcerto on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:17
A pity that I have to ask this, but who is "Christ Wright"?

Best,
Tobias
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:21
http://christopherwrightcomposer.co.uk/
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: JimL on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:32
Quote from: violinconcerto on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:17
A pity that I have to ask this, but who is "Christ Wright"?

Best,
Tobias
A slip of the finger, or a composer with delusions of godhood? ??? ;D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:34
Dutton issued a cd completely devoted to Christopher Wright's music in 2009(CDLX 7240) and added his Oboe Concerto a year later(CDLX 7249).

Fortunate indeed is Mr. Wright :)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:55
I copied and pasted what I was sent.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Saturday 28 January 2012, 20:10
Quote from: Tapiola on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:05
I was very fortunate to uncover what I did. The source is very involved with the Dutton series.  If I must name a "source" I will not pass on any further information in the future.

No problem, of course. I thought the releases might have been advertised somewhere that I hadn't spotted.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 20:35
Dutton is incredibly tight-lipped about future releases. Many times they respond with strange, vague replies. I got lucky in that I had some dealings with the right person today and just asked. Surprisingly, their email included the list I pasted.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 20:38
Also, I understand that the Austin symphony has been "cleaned up" and the score they used is much more accurate than the one RLPO  used.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: violinconcerto on Saturday 28 January 2012, 21:54
Quote from: Dundonnell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 19:34
Dutton issued a cd completely devoted to Christopher Wright's music in 2009(CDLX 7240) and added his Oboe Concerto a year later(CDLX 7249).

Fortunate indeed is Mr. Wright :)

OK, I found him and his violin concerto. The composition is brand new (if I understand the catalogue on his website correctly). I never heard of him before. Why the heck is his violin concerto coupled with a Vaughan Williams symphony?
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Saturday 28 January 2012, 22:57
Quote from: violinconcerto on Saturday 28 January 2012, 21:54
Why the heck is his violin concerto coupled with a Vaughan Williams symphony?

Dunno. Some of Dutton's couplings are quixotic, to say the least...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Christo on Saturday 28 January 2012, 23:00
Quote from: Tapiola on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:28
7286  Christ Wright Violin Conc; Vaughan Williams Sym 5 (world premiere rec of new edition by Peter Horton)

We all know Christ Wright, of course ('Mr. Wright' for us here). But who's ever heard of a "world premiere" of RVW's Fifth?  8)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 23:09
Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 28 January 2012, 22:57
Quote from: violinconcerto on Saturday 28 January 2012, 21:54
Why the heck is his violin concerto coupled with a Vaughan Williams symphony?

Dunno. Some of Dutton's couplings are quixotic, to say the least...

'Quixotic' indeed ::)

As Tobias has pointed out, Wright's Violin Concerto appears to be a brand new work, written in memory of the composer's wife.

I reiterate that Wright is certainly very fortunate that Dutton are giving him such exposure on cd. I do not wish to appear in any way churlish; the violin concerto may turn out to be a magnificent work. But it has to be said that there are a considerable number of violin concertos by much better-known British composers which also deserve to be recorded.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Sunday 29 January 2012, 00:42
Quite, I think we could all make a list of concertos we would like to see, but I like the way Dutton introduce me to people I have never heard of, often to my pleasant surprise. I shall buy all of these, as I have for the last three sets of releases (apart from 'Miss Austen' and Doreen Carwithen).
     When it says "February", do you think it means the next week or so, or the end of the month?
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Sunday 29 January 2012, 00:47
Just an "educated" guess, mid-month. Just a guess though. :P
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Sunday 29 January 2012, 01:24
It's awful, I get this period of weeks when I look daily at the Dutton site to see if there's any change. It's a terrible addiction!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Sunday 29 January 2012, 01:26
Quote from: Jimfin on Sunday 29 January 2012, 00:42
Quite, I think we could all make a list of concertos we would like to see, but I like the way Dutton introduce me to people I have never heard of, often to my pleasant surprise. I shall buy all of these, as I have for the last three sets of releases (apart from 'Miss Austen' and Doreen Carwithen).
     When it says "February", do you think it means the next week or so, or the end of the month?

Did you mention "a list" ??? ;D

The Arnold Cooke, the Daniel Jones, the William Mathias would all qualify, as would the Peter Racine Fricker 2nd, the Iain Hamilton 2nd and the John McCabe 1st and 2nd :) :)

(At least the Cooke, Jones and McCabe 2nd can be downloaded from this site :))
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: eschiss1 on Sunday 29 January 2012, 04:58
World premiere of VW 5th- hrm- are there differing versions as there are for his 2nd?
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Sunday 29 January 2012, 05:32
As long as it's not some arrangement for pianos or something, like they did for the Elgar 2nd. I understand the usefulness of arranging an orchestral work for piano duet for study purposes, but I do not understand the need to make a recording of it.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: britishcomposer on Sunday 29 January 2012, 09:06
Quote from: eschiss1 on Sunday 29 January 2012, 04:58
World premiere of VW 5th- hrm- are there differing versions as there are for his 2nd?

As far as I know - from a BBC Radio 3 documentary 2008 - the score was quite illegible and some major misprints have been corrected. Don't know exactly if they can actually be heard in performance but there is e. g. a timpani roll at the climax of the slow movement which has to be played at beginning of the bar in accordance with the climax, not a quarter later.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Sunday 05 February 2012, 19:18
The Dutton website appears to be down at the moment: wonder if they're uploading details of their February releases...?
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Sunday 05 February 2012, 21:53
...apparently not. Apologies!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Sunday 05 February 2012, 22:41
Mid-month.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Monday 06 February 2012, 06:40
Thanks!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Christo on Monday 06 February 2012, 09:15
Which year?  8)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Monday 06 February 2012, 11:21
This  ::)  ;)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: albion on Tuesday 07 February 2012, 16:45
Quote from: Tapiola on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:28[CDLX]7287                                  Catoire and Sherwood Piano Concertos

The pianist will be Hiroaki Takenouchi accompanied by the RSNO.

If my information is correct, a third composer on the disc will be Lawrance Collingwood (1887-1982). He wrote a Concerto, and also a Poem for Piano and Orchestra entitled Russia (1920) the autograph full score of which is at the RCM.

:)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Christopher on Tuesday 07 February 2012, 22:13
Quote from: Albion on Tuesday 07 February 2012, 16:45
Quote from: Tapiola on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:28[CDLX]7287                                  Catoire and Sherwood Piano Concertos

The pianist will be Hiroaki Takenouchi accompanied by the RSNO.

If my information is correct, a third composer on the disc will be Lawrance Collingwood (1887-1982). He wrote a Concerto, and also a Poem for Piano and Orchestra entitled Russia (1920) the autograph full score of which is at the RCM.

:)

Will the "Russia" piece also be on the disc?   It is a piece to add to the (currently short) list of music written by Brits about Russia or Russian themes....(see stream on that subject)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: M. Henriksen on Tuesday 14 February 2012, 20:31
Quote from: Dundonnell on Saturday 28 January 2012, 14:54
Secondly, the Frederick Austin works(the Symphony, 'Spring' and 'The Sea Venturers') have been recorded before by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic under Douglas Bostock on the Classico and RLPO labels. Surely with early 20th century British orchestral repertoire it would have been better to have recorded something new?

Great do see Dutton record these works anyway, and Richard II must be a first recording? Maybe Dutton will release a second Austin disc in the future, there are surely more compositions from him that looks interesting. But I don't know the condition of the scores and so on. His early symphonic poem Isabella and the 4 movement Palsgaard - Danish Sketches for large orchestra could be a starting point for a second volume!? There's also some incidental music and orchestral songs if I'm not mistaken.
Maybe other members have any knowledge of the availability of Austin's scores?


Morten
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: giles.enders on Thursday 16 February 2012, 12:14
I understand that there was not room on the Catoire/Sherwood CD for the Collingwood work and that will be issued later. Hiro Takenouchi, the pianist on the disk will be playing some solo pieces by Catoire and the Rachmaninov Sonata No.2 at Conway Hall at 5pm on Sunday19th Feb.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Monday 20 February 2012, 12:26
A phone call to Dutton today indicates that the new releases won't be available for another 2-3 weeks yet.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: albion on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 06:56
(http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/prodimages/7283.gif)

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7283 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7283)

(http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/prodimages/7284.gif)

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7284 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7284)

(http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/prodimages/7285.gif)

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7285 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7285)

(http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/prodimages/7286.gif)

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7286 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7286)

(http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/prodimages/7287.gif)

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7287 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7287)

(http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/prodimages/7288.gif)

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7288 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7288)

:)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 08:48
You can google them, but you can't order them (yet!)...
Q: Is the recording of Austin's Symphony the same as the one which appeared on ClassicO :( ?
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: albion on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 10:52
Quote from: Alan Howe on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 08:48Q: Is the recording of Austin's Symphony the same as the one which appeared on ClassicO :( ?

Yes, the Austin disc is largely a conflation of deleted recordings that originally appeared on the ClassicO and RLPO labels. The wholly-new recording is of the early Richard II Overture. Whilst several members may already have the re-issued works in their earlier incarnations, it makes good sense to present a full single-composer disc showcasing some of Austin's finest music and ensure it's wider circulation.

I'm very pleased to see that the Edward German disc fills in some useful gaps in terms of his incidental music, especially Much Ado about Nothing and a more extensive selection from Henry VIII than is usually heard, but the stand-out items in terms of enterprise are probably the Foulds and Sherwood Concertos.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: febnyc on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 12:39
Quote from: Albion on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 10:52
, but the stand-out items in terms of enterprise are probably the Foulds and Sherwood Concertos.

I wonder.  If the Sainsbury Cello Concerto is anything like his superb Violin Concerto...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 12:58
The German disk sounds delicious bit I would dearly love to see Dutton record "The Seasons" eventually. Nevertheless, this new crop of CDs is riches indeed.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 14:35
For me the most interesting single item has to be the Sherwood as, despite poring over piles of his scores, I've never actually heard a note of his music...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 14:47
I have already expressed certain reservations about this new batch of recordings from Dutton.

There are certainly some important gaps filled and I shall definitely be ordering the Foulds Cello Concerto (coupled with the Sainsbury). I hope that the Sainsbury turns out to be a good piece; I must confess that his Violin Concerto did not quite works its magic on me :( The German disc also looks appealing but the coupling of a revised version of RVW's 5th and the Christopher Wright Violin Concerto still strikes me as rather odd.

My gripe-and I know that I shall be in a minority in saying this-is that there is a 'sameness' about the group of composers whose works have been recorded.
Edward German died in 1936, Foulds and Sherwood in 1939, Austin wrote little after 1939.
The only two active after 1939 are Sainsbury and Wright and with the greatess of respect to both neither seem to me to be among the most important British composers of the mid to later 20th century whose works languish unrecorded. All I had hoped is that alongside recordings of Foulds and German and Sherwood might have been some slightly more modern offerings. (I accept that there is also a light music collection on offer.)

Still, I would not wish to be too critical of the wonderful work Dutton has done and continues to do for British music. The recordings of the Joubert 2nd Symphony and the Martelli symphony and the Arnell String Quartets are reviewed with great enthusiasm in the new issue of 'Tempo' magazine :)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 15:02
I'm afraid this is not a gripe which I share; my main disappointment is that the Austin Symphony is a re-release. Otherwise, I rather applaud the choice of repertoire, especially as it is likely to be more to my taste! It would be nice if it were a case of 'both...and', rather than 'either...or', but Dutton have clearly made certain choices. And after all, they have recorded one of our most important contemporary symphonists - namely, David Matthews.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 15:38
Quote from: Alan Howe on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 15:02
I'm afraid this is not a gripe which I share; my main disappointment is that the Austin Symphony is a re-release. Otherwise, I rather applaud the choice of repertoire, especially as it is likely to be more to my taste! It would be nice if it were a case of 'both...and', rather than 'either...or', but Dutton have clearly made certain choices. And after all, they have recorded one of our most important contemporary symphonists - namely, David Matthews.

I did not expect you to, Alan ;D  And, of course, I recognise your applause for their choice which will indeed appeal to the musical taste of a number of people....including, I have to say, my own ;D I shall purchase the Foulds disc with enthusiasm. I look forward very much to hearing the Sherwood and the German.

All I was requesting was a greater degree of balance with other music which is also to my taste. And, yes, I certainly commend the recording of David Matthews, an important contemporary composer. It is the folk in between Austin and Matthews I am referring to.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 15:39
Let me begin by saying that Dutton are a wonderful company who have given me a lot of joy, and that I shall be ordering most of these. However, I feel some disappointment that Edward German is being recording to the last note in his incidental music, but only *one* of his seven operas has a satisfactory complete recording available (Tom Jones). 'Merrie England has a half-century old cut version knocking around, 'The Emerald Isle' only an amateur one, and the lovely scores (albeit theatrically disastrous) of "A Princess of Kensington" and "Fallen Fairies" are untouched.
     I had also hoped for some follow-up to the Havergal Brian double-whammy that accompanied last year's spring release and helped with the stress of the earthquake and tsunami here.

But I look forward to the Sainsbury and Foulds with great aniticpation and wish Dutton a long and prosperous life as a company!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 17:25
Quote from: Dundonnell on Wednesday 22 February 2012, 15:38
All I was requesting was a greater degree of balance with other music which is also to my taste. And, yes, I certainly commend the recording of David Matthews, an important contemporary composer. It is the folk in between Austin and Matthews I am referring to.

We can all wish that record companies should achieve the sort of balance which you are advocating. However, I am simply grateful for the particular set of choices that Dutton have made and would argue that they make a valuable contribution towards achieving an appropriate balance regarding repertoire within the recording industry as a whole.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Thursday 23 February 2012, 17:13
We can all purchase them after Dutton's new sale ends on February 27th.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: M. Henriksen on Thursday 23 February 2012, 18:36
Not to ask too much from Dutton, but shouldn't we expect a couple of "International" discs as well!?
Any thoughts/ideas?


Morten
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: jerfilm on Thursday 23 February 2012, 22:56
will these be available for download/purchase anywhere?   Amazon, perhaps?

Jerry
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: herrarte on Tuesday 28 February 2012, 23:47
Here's the link to buy the Catoire.

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7287 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7287)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: jerfilm on Wednesday 29 February 2012, 03:47
Thanks for the link but i'm hoping to find a download purchase.....

Jerry
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: M. Henriksen on Wednesday 29 February 2012, 06:30
I've never seen Dutton CDs available for download at amazon, but you can find them at itunes. I think most of the catalogue should be available there now, but I think you'll have to wait some more before the newest discs are added. Those releases are still not available for purchase at Dutton's website.


Morten
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Wednesday 29 February 2012, 08:10
I phoned Dutton yesterday - still no luck...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: herrarte on Thursday 01 March 2012, 23:04
"I've never seen Dutton CDs available for download at amazon"

The Godard is available for download at Itunes.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Friday 02 March 2012, 07:31
This thread needs renaming now: despite an unusually long February, still no sign...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: albion on Friday 02 March 2012, 12:37
Now available to order from the website - http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/#new_epoch2 (http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/#new_epoch2)

:)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Friday 02 March 2012, 13:27
My order shipped today.  ;D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Friday 02 March 2012, 13:32
...and ordered! Nice to see some David Morgan, and in fact I would probably have skipped the 'light music' disc otherwise. Very much looking forward to the Wallfisch. I've really been enjoying Sainsbury's Violin Concerto. Anyway, three cheers for Dutton, once again.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: BFerrell on Friday 02 March 2012, 13:36
Funny thing, I don't even notice the price! It's irrelevant to issues like these. The Foulds is certainly a magical piece  that I cannot wait to hear in great sound. The lighter David Morgan is exciting too. Let's hope it's the "right" David Morgan (1933-1988).
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Jimfin on Friday 02 March 2012, 13:50
Yes, I'm assuming that David Morgan, who has made a few appearances on threads here. And you're right, I don't even look at the price now, I just order the whole lot, even the mysterious VW 5th. The only ones I've not bothered with of late have been Jane Austen and Doreen Carwithen. Otherwise, I trust Dutton to introduce me to something wonderful, and I am seldom disappointed. Mike Dutton deserves to be richer than that Simon thingy from the X-Factor.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: TerraEpon on Friday 02 March 2012, 15:05
Now if only they'd make a box set of those light music discs. I can never get enough of it...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Friday 02 March 2012, 22:28
Yay! My order's in too...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: petershott@btinternet.com on Thursday 08 March 2012, 12:32
Here in Suffolk, England, the sun peeps out from the clouds, the birds cheep merrily in the hedgerows, the frogs discharge much energy in the pond doing things that would make my grandmother blush, spring calls.... and whao, all the new Duttons are on the HMV website at £5.99 post free and with a release date given of 12 March.

Now surely life can't be much better than that!!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Thursday 08 March 2012, 13:03
Quote from: petershott@btinternet.com on Thursday 08 March 2012, 12:32
Here in Suffolk, England, the sun peeps out from the clouds, the birds cheep merrily in the hedgerows, the frogs discharge much energy in the pond doing things that would make my grandmother blush, spring calls.... and whao, all the new Duttons are on the HMV website at £5.99 post free and with a release date given of 12 March.

Now surely life can't be much better than that!!

You are obviously a better man than I ;D I can't find them on the HMV website :(. Where did you locate them ??? ???
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Thursday 08 March 2012, 13:16
The HMV search engine is dismally hopeless. You need to enter the number of the disk. Then it will find it and you can purchase.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Thursday 08 March 2012, 13:24
Thank you, Gareth :)

That worked: Foulds/Sainsbury and Catoire/Sherwood successfully ordered ;D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: petershott@btinternet.com on Thursday 08 March 2012, 14:13
I agree with Gareth - it is entirely dismal (actually rather worse than that, but let's not try quantify grades of dismality!)

However, not entirely hopeless - for with a nudge or two it can be made to come up with the desired results. I found these new Dutton releases through clicking on the following:
Music
Classical
Coming Soon
and then trawling through (as at today's date) 12 pages. (You also have to be pretty adroit in recognising what is meant by an HMV abbreviation of a composer / performer name. Those abbreviations are often very stupid, but with repeated practice you become more skilled!)

I undertake this basic trawl through 'Coming Soon' every couple of days. That way you manage to catch most of the new releases, unless it happens to be a very esoteric label - but even then odd unexpected things show up. However, one warning: strangely some new releases never appear under 'Coming Soon'. For example, I'd got wind of the new Accord recording of Bernard Herrmann's 'Wuthering Heights' (I'd got to know the opera through an old Unicorn recording and it still gives me the goosebumps). It has never appeared under 'Coming Soon' (where generally there is a generous pre-release price). And I only found it in the last day or so with an 'Advanced Search' - with a post-release price of £24.??. But still, not bad for a 3CD set I suppose.

If time permits I'd also seriously advise friends to trawl through 'Special Offers' - to be sure, there is an awful lot of Ms Jenkins and Mr Boe to get through, but tucked away you can find some real bargain releases of 'proper' music from the last few months.

And finally, OOOOOOH DESPAIR, looking at the new Chandos releases under 'Coming Soon' (e.g. Vol 4 of the Halvorsen series) it looks as if HMV have increased the price of Chandos from £8.99 to £11.99. I'm hoping that's a mistake!!

Apologies to all non-UK readers for whom this rather tedious post about HMV will have little interest.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Thursday 08 March 2012, 14:19
Strange. I just entered 'Foulds' into their search engine and there it was (8th item down)! Simples!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Dundonnell on Thursday 08 March 2012, 14:37
Quote from: Alan Howe on Thursday 08 March 2012, 14:19
Strange. I just entered 'Foulds' into their search engine and there it was (8th item down)! Simples!

I definitely tried that one...or was it "John Foulds" ???   Anyway 'tis done now ;D
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Thursday 08 March 2012, 16:35
I also tried 'Catoire' at HMV and found the Catoire/Sherwood CD - third item down. Again, simples!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: jerfilm on Friday 09 March 2012, 15:15
Ah, at last - the Catoire is on itunes if you are a downloader......and a lovely piece at that......

Jerry
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Friday 09 March 2012, 19:08
Has anybody heard the Sherwood yet?
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: jerfilm on Friday 09 March 2012, 20:52
Oh yes, Alan.  It sounds, IMHO, like it could have been written at least 20 years earlier than it was.  Have not heard all of the middle movement as there was a download problem that is yet to be corrected.  Yes, I liked it.

Jerry
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Saturday 10 March 2012, 15:23
Well, my copies of the Catoire/Sherwood and Foulds/Sainsbury discs duly arrived this morning and I am listening to the Sherwood (PC2) as I speak.
As has already been said, it's very backward-looking for 1932/3; in fact it could have been written forty or fifty years earlier. Its first movement is in heroic E flat mode, as one might expect, and the idiom is Brahmsian, I suppose, although there are occasional hints of Reger too (without ever becoming as restless harmonically); we should also recall his teacher Draeseke's PC which is in the same key. The slow movement is an absolutely beautiful reverie interrupted late on by a more turbulent passage; at times, as in the opening movement, my thoughts turn to Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. The final movement is an exciting, virtuoso Allegro molto. All in all, anyone who is a fan of, say, Hyperion's RPC series is going to love this. And I haven't even listened to the Catoire yet...
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: markniew on Saturday 10 March 2012, 15:59
I have downloaded this CD. My expectations mainly as regards Catoire's cto were very high. I awaited more Russian/Slavic tastes. Well, it's very very lyrical concerto. I am interesting in opinions of other members. As to Sherwood I agree with Allan. It sounds as composed at the end of 19th century what is not disadventage, not. It sounds good, piano part is quite powerful.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: herrarte on Saturday 10 March 2012, 16:59
You can now also download the Catoire PC from Amazon.com and for a Dollar less. $8.99.

Cheers,

herrarte
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Saturday 10 March 2012, 17:27
I have sampled the Catoire and it's probably more or less what one might expect in terms of idiom, i.e. very much late-Romantic Russian. What strikes me most about the CD as a whole, though, is the inappropriateness of the coupling. Not that I'm complaining. It's a must-buy!
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: jerfilm on Monday 12 March 2012, 21:57
Other good news for some.   Amazon US has the Foulds/Sainsbury download for $5.94!!  And if you only are in the market for one of the concertos, you can buy the individual tracks for 99 cents.

Jerry
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Mark Thomas on Saturday 17 March 2012, 15:23
These two works do make very strange bedfellows but I downloaded the tracks from Amazon and so once they're safely separated out into different folders the jarring clash of sound worlds is avoided.

The Catoire inhabits Rachmaninov's world. That's not meant as criticism because the work is convincingly put together and is never less than attractive, although I'm not sure how memorable it will prove to be. Given Catoire's reputation, I was expecting something rather more unconventional for its time, but it's always good to have another full-bloodied Russian piano concerto and this one certainly pulls out all the stops, especially in the committed performance it gets here. Similarly full-on is the treatment given Sherwood's 1880s-sounding piece. It really is astonishing that this work was composed as late as 1932; there really are very few clues that it doesn't date from 50 years earlier. Still, gift horses and mouths and 80 years on it shouldn't matter. It's date of composition aside, it's an another enjoyable work but this time very firmly in the grand German tradition, with a powerful opening Allegro and a gorgeous central Andante (in which the performers take the tranquillo qualification gratifyingly to heart). I feel that the tumbling final Allegro molto is a bit of a let down, its material trite and inconsequential by comparison with what has gone before. If more Sherwood appears I'll happily snap it up, though, on the evidence of this work.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Gareth Vaughan on Saturday 17 March 2012, 21:47
Again, not wanting to carp, it is a very odd coupling. Given that there are two PCs by Sherwood, and the performance materials for both are readily available, why on earth didn't Dutton record the 2 on the same disk? There are plenty of unsung contemporaneous Russian orchestral works which could have been coupled with the Catoire PC. But, like Mark and Alan, I'm not complaining - just expressing puzzlement at the thinking behind this disk.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Mark Thomas on Saturday 17 March 2012, 22:00
It smacks to me of sponsorship money or the pianist dictating the coupling. As I say, I downloaded the tracks so it's not really an issue for me but I do think that it's a commercially unattractive move which runs the risk of inhibiting sales of the physical product.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: albion on Monday 19 March 2012, 16:31
I've really enjoyed listening through the new Dutton discs, especially the Edward German: his incidental music is always excellent and here the selection includes two further substantial overtures (Much Ado about Nothing and Henry VIII). Those who have both this new disc and the Marco Polo disc in their British Light Music series will find that Marco Polo list the Berceuse as coming from the incidental music to The Conqueror (1905), whilst Dutton correctly ascribe it to The Tempter (1893). The latter is definitely correct as I have the piano duet score on my shelf and the full score is on IMSLP. For authentic material from The Conqueror there is a sprightly performance of three extracts by the Northwestern College Orchestra in the archive.

The Foulds is not the novelty it would have been if we hadn't already heard Wallfisch's 1988 broadcast, but it is good to have such a strong work in excellent sound.

I already had all the re-issued Austin recordings, but got the new compilation anyway, to gather everything under one umbrella ...

;)

The Catoire and Sherwood disc I have yet to really get into - I think I'll need to hear both several times before they lodge in the memory, but rewarding and enterprising repertoire nevertheless.

:)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Mark Thomas on Monday 19 March 2012, 17:46
I've just been listening to Fould's Cello Concerto (which I didn't know) this afternoon and I found it a very enjoyable and rewarding work. It's clearly indebted to Dvorak in the writing for the soloist (not at all a bad thing IMHO) and has an epic feel to it which is matched by some very strong thematic material, especially in the first two movements. A welcome new acquaintance, to which I will return with pleasure I'm sure.
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: Alan Howe on Monday 19 March 2012, 18:40
I agree on the whole, Mark. For me, though, the biggest disappointment is the way the soloist enters in the first movement - sounds rather tentative to me. (That's not meant as a criticism of the performance.)
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: thalbergmad on Monday 19 March 2012, 20:55
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Saturday 17 March 2012, 22:00
It smacks to me of sponsorship money or the pianist dictating the coupling.

I understand it took a considerable amount of time to Sibeliusise (I have just invented this word) the 2nd PC, so perhaps the pianist, who I understand did it himself, thought he would leave the 1st PC to later.

Thal
Title: Re: New Duttons for February
Post by: eschiss1 on Tuesday 01 May 2012, 10:06
Records International's May issue now contains several of these, including the Austin etc. CD, the Foulds/Sainsbury, the Catoire/Sherwood , for instance.