What sounds do the words “Piano Concerto” conjure up? The bombast of Grieg or Tchaikovsky? The tumult of Beethoven? Well, there are other approaches. This release features six short concertos by British composers. All are classically trained. Some remained in the classical field. Others migrated to film and television soundtracks. No matter. All these works […]
Martyn Brabbins
-
-
Modern masterworks by Victoria Borisova-Ollas
Victoria Borisova-Ollas is a Russian-born composer making her home in Sweden. If you (like me) aren’t familiar with her work, start with this recording. It’s stunning. Borisova-Ollas writes deeply spiritual music, drawing on classical music traditions of the past as well as the present. And she’s an imaginative orchestrator. Her use of percussion is original […]
-
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Discoveries
Ralph Vaughan Williams is one of my favorite composers. For me, then, Discoveries is a delight — and an aptly named one. The works on this album all emerge from the obscure corners of Vaughan Williams’ catalog. Though there’s very little “pure” RVW here (almost every work is either an arrangement or orchestration), it all […]