New Duttons on the way

[albion]

I limited myself to funding Dutton to the tune of four releases this time. Ranked in order of pleasure given they would be -

Reizenstein & Bate - two excellent piano concertos (especially the Bate), with the Sinfonietta coming a little way behind

Moeran & Ireland - superb realisation of the Symphony No.2, but still making me fervently wish that the composer had lived to complete it

Holbrooke & Bennett - not top-drawer Holbrooke (we need the earlier works, especially Queen Mab and Apollo and the Seaman, please), but he's always a fascinating composer and the brightly-score Aucassin and Nicolette is a delight

Dan Godfrey Encores - despite the best of intentions, a bit of a mish-mash but with some treasurable tracks (Ina Boyle and Rutland Boughton primarily)

[Dundonnell]

I passed on the Dan Godfrey collection but bought the Arthur Benjamin and the Frederick Converse

I would have bought the Widor Piano Concerti but am waiting for the reviews and comparisons between the Dutton version and the new Hyperion

[albion]

I would have bought the Widor Piano Concerti but am waiting for the reviews and comparisons between the Dutton version and the new Hyperion

As many will have done. This duplication really does highlight the need for recording companies to forego any scruples and communicate with each other. Will Cameo now bother to release their Holbrooke 4th?



I've just emailed my thanks to Dutton (rather shame-faced after a previous rant) and plugged the cause of more Bate (ballets and violin concertos) and Holbrooke (QM and ASM). Well , you can but (gushingly) try ....

[Dundonnell]

My understanding-and it  no more than that-is that Dutton are reluctant to commit to 'big' choral works, presumably on grounds of expense.

The company has come under some pressure to record more Alan Bush. Again, my understanding, is that the Symphony No.3 "The Byron Symphony" is too expensive but that they will be doing the Symphony No.4 "Lascaux".

(Actually..listening to my, admittedly, murky recording of "The Byron Symphony" I am not sure that it is a huge loss )

[Gareth Vaughan]

Cameo will most definitely NOT release their Holbrooke 4th as the orchestral playing was simply not good enough and the conductor (Marius Stravinsky) clearly did not understand the score.

Shortly to be released, however, will be a disk containing:-  Gaze Cooper: Oboe Concertino, Robin Milford: Suite in D minor for oboe & strings, Frederick Kelly: Serenade for flute and small orchestra (strings, horn & harp), Maurice Blower: Concerto for horn & strings + Eclogue for horn & strings. The Scott Harpsichord concerto is to be held over until next year when it will form the basis of a CD of English concertante works for harpsichord. Further delights include: Somervell's D minor symphony "Thalassa", Holbrooke's "Pierrot and Pierrette" Ballet Suite & Alexander Mackenzie's "La Belle Dame sans Merci"; PC No. 1 by Kenneth Leighton & PC by Ruth Gipps + some solo piano pieces by Ruth Gipps - played by Angela Brownridge; Ignaz Brull: Violin Concerto, 3rd Orchestral Serenade by Jadassohn + Jadassohn's Serenade for flute and strings.

[albion]

The company has come under some pressure to record more Alan Bush. Again, my understanding, is that the Symphony No.3 "The Byron Symphony" is too expensive but that they will be doing the Symphony No.4 "Lascaux".

According to Rob Barnett -

the Lascaux will be recorded by those tireless heroes of British music Dutton, later this year. The Third, The Byron, a work of similar duration and forces to Beethoven's Choral Symphony had performances in the UK and in East Germany (DDR) in the 1960s but will have to await its recorded premiere until favoured by an astute and refined lottery winner.

Presumably the "pressure" comes from The Alan Bush Trust (and possibly the RVW Trust) stumping up some of the requisite bank-notes?

Cameo will most definitely NOT release their Holbrooke 4th as the orchestral playing was simply not good enough and the conductor (Marius Stravinsky) clearly did not understand the score.

Shortly to be released, however, will be a disk containing:-  Gaze Cooper: Oboe Concertino, Robin Milford: Suite in D minor for oboe & strings, Frederick Kelly: Serenade for flute and small orchestra (strings, horn & harp), Maurice Blower: Concerto for horn & strings + Eclogue for horn & strings. The Scott Harpsichord concerto is to be held over until next year when it will form the basis of a CD of English concertante works for harpsichord. Further delights include: Somervell's D minor symphony "Thalassa", Holbrooke's "Pierrot and Pierrette" Ballet Suite & Alexander Mackenzie's "La Belle Dame sans Merci"; PC No. 1 by Kenneth Leighton & PC by Ruth Gipps + some solo piano pieces by Ruth Gipps - played by Angela Brownridge; Ignaz Brull: Violin Concerto, 3rd Orchestral Serenade by Jadassohn + Jadassohn's Serenade for flute and strings.

Thanks, Gareth. I will certainly be purchasing these enterprising recordings.

[Dundonnell]

Cameo will most definitely NOT release their Holbrooke 4th as the orchestral playing was simply not good enough and the conductor (Marius Stravinsky) clearly did not understand the score.

Shortly to be released, however, will be a disk containing:-  Gaze Cooper: Oboe Concertino, Robin Milford: Suite in D minor for oboe & strings, Frederick Kelly: Serenade for flute and small orchestra (strings, horn & harp), Maurice Blower: Concerto for horn & strings + Eclogue for horn & strings. The Scott Harpsichord concerto is to be held over until next year when it will form the basis of a CD of English concertante works for harpsichord. Further delights include: Somervell's D minor symphony "Thalassa", Holbrooke's "Pierrot and Pierrette" Ballet Suite & Alexander Mackenzie's "La Belle Dame sans Merci"; PC No. 1 by Kenneth Leighton & PC by Ruth Gipps + some solo piano pieces by Ruth Gipps - played by Angela Brownridge; Ignaz Brull: Violin Concerto, 3rd Orchestral Serenade by Jadassohn + Jadassohn's Serenade for flute and strings.

"..of English concertante works for harpsichord."

Interesting

Let's see-there is the Walter Leigh Concertino(already recorded by Lyrita), the William Mathias Concerto, op.56, the John McCabe Concertante(1965)..........

[eschiss1]

presumably 19th to 21st century English (or British) concertante works- the selection from earlier on is, I am guessing, somewhat larger. (Maybe not...) (well, Avison, Hayes, others.)

[Gareth Vaughan]

I'm not promising anything, but it might be worth bearing in mind that Stanley Bate wrote a harpsichord concerto and Robert Milford a Concertino.

[albion]

I'm not promising anything, but it might be worth bearing in mind that Stanley Bate wrote a harpsichord concerto and Robert Milford a Concertino.

[eschiss1]

Does Wilfred Josephs' Saratoga Concerto count in this connection, though it's a triple concerto for guitar, harp and harpsichord? (Robin or Robert?)
(Hrm. Also a concertino for harpsichord and strings by a Francis Shaw ? ... still living apparently. Pub. Ashdown, distr. Schirmer.) Cyril Scott's harpsichord concerto also shows up in a Schirmer search- hrm... must see if it's been mentioned here... mind is going. (It has been mentioned in rather odd contexts - "what is the situation regarding"- not sure I understand what that means now.)

[Gareth Vaughan]

Could you give me the Schirmer URL for the Francis Shaw concertino please, Eric? It sounds v. interesting.

[vandermolen]

It would be great if Dutton could record Ruth Gipps's Symphony No 4, which potentially has a wide appeal + the Symphony by Robin Milford, which I've never heard.

[britishcomposer]

It would be great if Dutton could record Ruth Gipps's Symphony No 4, which potentially has a wide appeal + the Symphony by Robin Milford, which I've never heard.

According to the Newsletter 2011 of The Robin Milford Trust a recording of the Symphony was planned for 2011. The parts have been prepared and you can listen to a MIDI version of the complete work at the pages of the trust:
http://www.robinmilfordtrust.org.uk/work03.htm

[eschiss1]

Francis Shaw concertino, published by Ashdown, distributed by Schirmer- here - hope that's useful truly...

looked up his biographical details but found out only a little, and don't know his music yet myself.
Harpsichord and string or full orchestra (or quartet) works generally please me anyway (I consider too a concerto I've heard by the American Quincy Porter - friend of Roger Sessions though much more tonally inclined - and the recently-deceased Hungarian Frigyes Hidas (or Hidas Frigyes) a work sometimes heard on BBC. Among others. An instrumentation happily rediscovered. Apologies for tangent.)