I first became aware of Robert Simpson through The Symphony. This two-volume work, edited by Simpson, was a collection of essays about the great symphonists and their music. Simpson not only knew how to write about symphonies, he knew how to write them. This release features two of his eleven symphonies, both dating from the 1970s. […]
Lyrita
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Daniel Jones Symphonies 3 & 5 tied to BBC
The relationship between Welsh composer Daniel Jones and the BBC was a close one. In the third installment of Daniel Jones’s symphonic recordings, Lyrita presents two prime examples. Symphony No. 3 was completed in 1951 and premiered the following year in a BBC broadcast. David Jones conducted the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Jones’ fifth symphony […]
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William Alwyn quartets show early influences
British composer William Alwyn was just in his twenties when he wrote the quartets on this release. And he was just getting warmed up. Still ahead were over 70 film scores, ten more string quartet quartets, plus symphonies, operas, concertos, and more. The quartets here reflect the influence of Alwyn’s studies with John Blackwood McEwen. […]
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British Cello Works – quality chamber music by women
When I present classical music on the radio, I never identify a composer by race or sex. I think it creates the impression that these are subsets of the main group of composers. There are composers, and there are women composers. Almost as good, but not quite. I don’t think that’s true, and (apparently), neither […]
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Charles Villiers Stanford 1919 “Via Victix” still relevant
This is a world premiere recording — of a work that was completed in 1919. And, I think, it’s a work that deserves reevaluation. Charles Villiers Stanford composed his Mass “Via Victix 1914-1918” to mark the end of the Great War (now called World War I). The conflict had begun with stirring appeals to patriotism […]
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Sergei Zhukov Concertos Suited to Soloists
Ukranian composer Sergei Zhukov wrote a series of three concertos, each dedicated to a different sister of The Bekova Trio. This release features the Piano Concerto written for Eleonora Bekova and the Violin Concerto, written for Elvira Bekova. Omitted is the Cello Concerto, composed for Alfia Bekova. Zhukov’s stated intent was to create concertos that […]
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George Lloyd Symphonies in Definitive Live Performances
This release presents two live performances of George Lloyd symphonies. What performances — and what symphonies! George Lloyd was a rising star before the Second World War but was largely ignored afterward. Conductor Edward Downes became a champion of Lloyd’s music. Symphony No. 6, written in 1956, is heard in its world-premiere broadcast from 1980. […]
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Edmund Rubbra BBC Broadcasts – Flawed Musical Treasures
This release features three live performances broadcast by the BBC in the 1960s. the recordings are from the Richard Itter collection; professional-grade recordings of radio broadcasts. Some of the Lyrita releases of this material have had amazing sound quality. In these performances, though, the sound seems somewhat lo-fi and closed in. But the quality of […]
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Daniel Jones Symphonies 2 & 11 – Complex, yet simple
Lyrita Records embarked on their Daniel Jones symphonic cycle in the 1970s. It’s good to have them available again in digital form. Early in his career, this Welsh composer devised his own musical language that served him well. Jones’ Complex Metres system used asymmetrical patterns. These patterns never quite align as they repeat. That gives […]