Cliffe and d'Erlanger Violin Concertos from Hyperion

[Mark Thomas]

What a fine addition to the series this is!

The glorious Cliffe is relatively familiar now, thanks to last year's BBC broadcast of it which featured the same conductor and soloist, but with a different orchestra. This recording, though, seems to me to be at the same time both more heroically robust in the outer movements and more passionate in the middle one. It's a work of real stature and couldn't have a more persuasive performance than it gets here.

For me, though, the surprise is the two d'Erlanger pieces. For an amateur composer to have produced two works of such melodic beauty, delicacy and refinement is achievement enough. Yet the Concerto, whilst nothing like as masculine a piece as Cliffe's, still has plenty of vigour and excitement and its slow movement is a dream. Both it and the Poëme never lapse into the sugary sweetness that the generous supply of memorable melodies and transparent orchestral writing might imply. Lovely stuff.

[Alan Howe]

My copy's on its way. More anon...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Just picked up a news flash that all Royal Mail vans within a 20 mile radius of the Howe residence have been hi-jacked this morning.

[Alan Howe]

Dash and dagnabit!

Good job my postie likes carrying my packages and parcels!

[eschiss1]

Good job my postie likes carrying my packages and parcels!

There's a Terry Pratchett quote to be invoked here, I know it.

[Rob H]

Received but not had chance to listen to properly yet but did notice in the programme notes that D'Erlanger also wrote a Concerto Symphonique for piano and orchestra! Wonder what the chances of this appearing in the RPC series are??
Rob

[eschiss1]

and an Andante symphonique op.18 for cello and orchestra perhaps as filler for the cello series if the orchestral score is still somewhere.

[Alan Howe]

The Cliffe VC is much the best work on the CD: it is, as Mark has indicated, a simply glorious work, with a never-ending flood of wonderfully expressive and personal invention. The d'Erlanger VC is nothing like as deep, but it's quite lovely in its own way - and the short Poème very beautiful. If there were ever such a thing as a must-have disc, this would be it!

[albion]

The whole disc is an absolute joy from beginning to end - great repertoire choice, superb performances, first-class engineering and exemplary presentation - a truly great addition to the Hyperion discography (falls off chair overcome with effusive gratitude).

Now if we could only have the two Symphonies, The Triumph of Alcestis and Cloud and Sunshine from Hyperion ...   

[Peter1953]

Each time I listen to Cliffe's magnificent VC I get the goose bumps. I get the same sensation while listening to his wonderful Symphony. We can only hope that his 2nd will be released in the very near future. Gosh, this genius composer wrote only 6 works.

[Gareth Vaughan]

and an Andante symphonique op.18 for cello and orchestra perhaps as filler for the cello series if the orchestral score is still somewhere.

There is also a Ballade for cello and orchestra by d'Erlanger. The score & parts of the Andante Symphonique are in Fleisher, while those for the Ballade and the Concerto Symphonique for piano & orchestra are listed in Schott's Hire catalogue.  I should add that the Concerto Symphonique is not as well-written as the VC - it tends to sprawl somewhat and d'Erlanger is given to some note-spinning without really getting anywhere. That said, however, there is a great deal to enjoy in the work and I would love to hear it recorded by a really good pianist, committed to this sort of repertoire.

[eschiss1]

d'Erlanger also used a nickname Fred Regnal- for lighter composition maybe? Not sure.

[Alan Howe]

What's interesting about Graffin's interpretation of the Cliffe VC is that, over time, it has become more expansive, thus bringing the work closer to the world of, say, Elgar. Fascinating.

[albion]

It was heart-warming to hear this disc featured on CD Review this morning - such prominent exposure is invaluable. 

[Alan Howe]

Actually, the Cliffe VC got a rather luke-warm response on CDR this morning. Shame - it's a stronger piece than the d'Erlanger, delightful though that is.