Erica Jeal
The Guardian
October 2016

The viola, that Cinderella of the orchestral string section, goes to the ball in this recital by violist Lawrence Power and pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips, thanks to fairy godmothering by 10 composers, mostly French and all active around the turn of the 20th century. Though they were writing showstoppers, none could ignore the viola’s propensity for melancholy, and Power’s capacity for spinning seamless melodies is as crucial to these stylish performances here as his and Crawford-Phillips’s virtuosity. Alongside the usual suspects—Ravel and Debussy—there are previously unrecorded works by the almost forgotten Léon Honnoré, Georges Hüe and Henri Büsser. A Soliloquy and Forlane by Hahn lightens the atmosphere, two pieces by Louis Vierne are beautifully done, and Lucien Durosoir’s 1934 Vitrail sounds rhapsodically modern; the highlight, though, might be George Enescu’s Concertstück. Most would sit better within a more varied programme, but it’s good to have them recorded.

The Guardian