;)
2CDs
Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Keener
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: November 2002
Total duration: 132 minutes 34 seconds
PREMIOS CD COMPACT 2002 (CHAMBER)
10 DE REPERTOIRE
PICK OF THE MONTH (THE STRAD)
'An entrancing voyage of discovery' (Gramophone)
'The Nash’s playing is simply outstanding and makes the best possible case for giving many of these works a permanent place in the repertoire' (Daily Telegraph)
'exuberant, robust, immensely likeable music (The Nash Ensemble obviously love playing it)' (Classic FM Magazine)
'The Nash Ensemble play with their customary blend of flawless perfection and musical insight' (The Times)
'The Nash Ensemble plays these stunning miniatures with all the freshness and excitement of a new discovery' (The Strad)
'In these performances, there is an admirable sense of the discovery of previously unknown music of quality. The recordings are excellent. This is a major and exciting addition to the Vaughan Williams discography. Very strongly recommended' (International Record Review)
'The Nash Ensemble play these first performances with passion and aplomb … very good indeed' (BBCi)
'This set would draw interest even if it didn't contain five world premiere recordings, such is the quality and insight of the music-making' (BBC Music Magazine)
'The Nash Ensemble's performances are superb' (The Sunday Times)
'This revelatory collection of early chamber works by the giant of the 20th-century English style is fascinating and captivating' (The Scotsman)
'Un must pour tous, et un apport fondamental à la discographie' (Répertoire, France)
'les musiciens du Nash mettent leur technique et leur enthousiasme au service d’une matière inégale' (Diapason, France)
'The Nash Ensemble performs all of this music with boundless enthusiasm and technical assurance … This is a ‘must’ for anyone who cares about Vaughan Williams' (ClassicsToday.com)
'The Nash Ensemble plays with sensitivity, beauty, and taste. It may well have replaced the old Melos Ensemble as my favorite British chamber consort … They have at least two more Hyperion CDs devoted to Vaughan Williams's chamber music (instrumental and vocal), both of high quality. This, I think, is the best of the three, and it's beautifully recorded besides' (Classical Music List)
CD1
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Movement 2: Andante
[10'19]
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Romance
[6'06]
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CD2
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Movement 1: Allegro
[7'05]
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Movement 2: Andantino
[6'35]
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Movement 1: Allegro moderato
[6'57]
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Movement 3: Andantino
[7'54]
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Scherzo
[5'57]
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It is hard to imagine the discontent of a composer responsible for some of the most beautiful music ever written. However, it seems that the over-zealous self-criticism of the youthful Ralph Vaughan Williams has denied the world the pleasure of much of his early chamber music, banished to a cupboard for up to a hundred years … until now! Vaughan Williams destroyed many of his earliest works, for which the world can only mourn the loss. Other early manuscripts, mercifully, were stored away, and following his death in 1958, donated by his widow to the British Library. Understandably, there have been many requests to investigate and perform these works over the years, and to avoid the increasing threat of piracy and unedited versions, R.V.W. Ltd and Faber Music have worked together to produce authorized editions. Together with a number of more familiar works, there are five previously unrecorded works on this disc, three of which Gustav Holst would have been familiar with in 1903 when he wrote to his great friend: “your best—your most profound and beautiful style or 'atmosphere'—is an indescribable sort of feeling as if one was listening to very lovely lyrical poetry”. The performances by The Nash Ensemble on this extraordinary 2-CD set secure that this treasure chest is one to cherish. |