Bradbury and Roberts were two of the most respected British instrumentalists of the modern age (Roberts has now passed on). They renewed their working relationship, following previous collaborations, in this very fine performance of three great German works.
Recorded at St. George’s, Brandon Hill , Bristol.
ONLY COMPLETE RECORDING
Sir Arthur Sullivan wrote his light opera Haddon Hall when he was at the height of his considerable creative powers. Despite his intention to turn away from writing “lighter” works so that he could concentrate on more serious fare, Sullivan’s love of the good-life forced his return to the rather more lucrative stage of the Savoy Theatre, and the world of comic opera. Sydney Grundy presented him with a libretto based on an actual historical incident, namely the elopement of Dorothy Vernon, with her lover John Manners, from Haddon Hall, her ancestral home. The opera was completed and presented at the Savoy Theatre on 24th September 1892.
The reception to Sullivan’s music (though not the libretto!) was ecstatic. Bernard Shaw thought Haddon Hall to be the very best of the Savoy Operas, and for a while the piece beat even The Mikado in box office receipts. We hope that, after hearing this new recording, you will agree that Haddon Hall is an unjustly neglected work of great charm, fully worthy of Britain’s most famous composer of the 19th century, Sir Arthur Sullivan.
Above notes extracted from Booklet notes © 2000 Alan Borthwick
McLachlan is one of the established Camilleri specialists; performer and composer worked together on this CD of music (first recordings in each case) some of which was especially written for this recording. Camilleri’s music here is very special – atmospheric, mystical but also full of life and vigour.
Camilleri of a different kind: light, fun and brilliant orchestral works on DDV 24126 and for two pianos on DDV 24167.
Reflections on the Rosary including traditional Russian Catholic chants, and poems by Regina Derieva. Performed by Regina Derieva, Fr. Abraham of the Monastery of the All-Merciful Saviour, Ekaterinburg, Russia and the Akathistos Choir, conducted by Pauls Putnins.
SOLOISTS, AIDIJA CHAMBER CHOIR, conducted by ROMUALDAS GRAZINIS
A new cantata, written in the most beautiful and sumptuous traditional tonal harmonies by Armando Pierucci to poems by Regina Derieva on the subject of the Stations of the Cross. A suberb new choral work described by one critic as “a major discovery”. Recorded in Vilnius, Lithuania.
An anthology of hymns and chants, celebrating the story of salvation, and the work of the Franciscans who have been custodians of the sacred shrines of the Holy Land since the 13th century.
Performed by the choir and community of St Saviour’s Monastery, Jerusalem.
Tracks include the Marian Litanies, hymns by Kunc, Bourget, Fortunatus and Iaccarino and 14 traditional and Gregorian chants.
As a composer Donald Swann was more prolific, more varied, than might be imagined from those who only know him as half of the Flanders and Swann comedy duo. Fascinated by the Greek islands and particularly Casos, on which he found both peace and disquiet, he used Greek folksong and popular melodies as the basis for these joyful yet thoughtful songs, orchestrated by John Jansson.
BONUS: The Casos Sonnets, which form a separate subset, were never performed in Donald’s lifetime. We are very fortunate to have secured a tape of these pieces, made by Donald for his own use on his beloved Bluthner piano at his Battersea home, and this CD includes this rare and valuable recording.
This CD fulfils a long held ambition of Trevor Barnard who, following his pioneering recording of the Bliss Concerto in 1962, vowed someday to complete the double by recording the superb Sonata. Coupled with the amazing Preludes, these works deserve to be much better known. In early 2000 we re-issued that 1962 recording of the Concerto which Trevor made with the Philharmonia under Sir Malcolm Sargent (DDV 24106).
Two of the finest modern works for guitar – John Tavener’s “Chant” and Alan Rawsthorne’s “Elegy” which, with Terence Croucher’s piece of the same name gives the title to this collection – appear with music from several of Britain’s most accomplished composers for the instrument. Jonathan’s fourth recording, and his first for Divine Art, presents works with which he has a special affinity and demonstrates why these compositions deserve a wider audience. This recording has been kindly supported by the Rawsthorne Trust.
Our recording of John Tavener’s “Chant” from this CD was chosen to feature in a new 2CD set issued by Naxos in January 2004. Called “Portrait of John Tavener”, the CD number is 8.558160-61.
Jonathan Richards plays his own arrangements of music by J S Bach: “Sarabande” on DDV 24115 and gorgeous romantic pieces on “Forever” DDV 24119.
In the first of a series containing Galuppi’s 100 piano sonatas, we present eight of these masterpieces. All music lovers should sample these seminal works, which made Galuppi one of the greatest composers of his day;all the more strange that he should have fallen into such obscurity.
Peter Seivewright has spent a good deal of time on a research mission to Venice and other European cities, retrieving the unpublished manuscript scores and preparing performing editions. One of the great revelations brought about by this work is that Galuppi, far from being a straightforward baroque composer writing for the traditional keyboard instruments (harpsichord and clavichord), which have been employed in all previous recordings, actually waited until the piano had been developed before creating most of his phenomenal output. Many of the original manuscripts are titled “Sonata for Pianoforte”, and much of the writing, making substantial use of the sustain pedal, simply do not work on the earlier instruments.
Performances which are both polished and committed, from this amazing choir, including a few well-known sacred pieces by Durufle, Stainer, Stanford; new works by brilliant Scots composer Martin Dalby, gems from John Tavener and Alan Rawsthorne, and a selection of traditional Scottish songs in super new arrangements by Ken Johnson.
The first recording for some twenty years by a performer whose pioneering version of the Bliss Piano Concerto for EMI in the 1960s (now re-issued on Diversions DDV 24106) drew undiluted praise. Trevor plays the great Bach/Busoni transcriptions, Myra Hess’ version of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and (for the first time on CD) works by Australian composers Margaret Sutherland Felix Werder and Nigel Butterley.