British Composers: Britten, Walton & Tippett

A 5CD set containing titles from the acclaimed EMI British Composers series, based around the music of Benjamin Britten and his contemporaries - Sir William Walton and Sir Michael Tippett.

Contents:
CD 1 [61.07]
Benjamin Britten
Spring Symphony Op.44
Part I
1. Introduction: Shine out (Anon. 16th century)
2. The Merry Cuckoo (Spenser)
3. Spring, the Sweet Spring (Nashe)
4. The Driving Boy (Peele, Clare)
5. The Morning Star (Milton)

Part II
6. Welcome, Maids of Honour (Herrick)
7. Waters Above! (Vaughan)
8. Out on the lawn I lie in bed (Auden)

Part III
9. When will my May come (Barnfield)
10. Fair and Fair (Peele)
11. Sound the Flute! (Blake)

Part IV
12. Finale: London, to thee I do present (Beaumont & Fletcher, anon. 13th century)

Sheila Armstrong (soprano) • Dame Janet Baker (contralto) • Robert Tear (tenor)
St Clement Danes School Boys’ Choir
London Symphony Chorus

Four Sea Interludes Op.33a from ‘Peter Grimes’
13. Dawn
14. Sunday Morning
15. Moonlight
16. Storm
London Symphony Orchestra / André Previn

Recorded in Kingsway Hall, London, 28 & 29 June 1978, and No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London, 27 & 28 October 1974

CD 2 [62.26]
Benjamin Britten
Violin Concerto Op.15
1. I Moderato con moto
2. II Vivace
3. III Passacaglia (Andante lento—Un poco meno mosso)

Sir William Walton
Violin Concerto in B minor
4. I Andante tranquillo
5. II Presto capriccioso a la napolitana
6. III Vivace
Ida Haendel (violin)
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Paavo Berglund

Recorded in the Guildhall, Southampton, 12 & 13 June 1977

CD 3 [58.19]
Benjamin Britten
Suite for violin and piano Op.6
1. Introduction (Andante maestoso)
2. I March (Allegro alla marcia)
3. II Moto perpetuo (Allegro molto e con fuoco)
4. III Lullaby (Lento tranquillo)
5. IV.Waltz (Alla valse: vivace e rubato)
Aléxander Barantschik (violin) • John Alley (piano)

6. Elegy for solo viola
Paul Silverthorne (viola)

Cello Sonata in C Op.65
7. I Dialogo (Allegro)
8. II Scherzo-pizzicato (Allegretto)
9. III Elegia (Lento)
10. IV Marcia (Energica)
11. V Moto perpetuo (Presto)
Moray Welsh (cello) • John Lenehan (piano)

Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo oboe Op.49
12. 1.Pan (Senza misura)
13. 2.Phaeton (Vivace ritmico)
14. 3.Niobe (Andante)
15. 4.Bacchus (Allegro pesante)
16. 5.Narcissus (Lento piacevole)
17. 6.Arethusa (Largamente)
Roy Carter (oboe)

Recorded at Conway Hall, London, 14 December, 14 November & 1 December 1994, and All Saints’, East Finchley, 4 & 5 January 1995

CD 4 [69.02]
Sir William Walton
Piano Quartet
1. I Allegramente
2. II Allegro scherzando
3. III Andante tranquillo
4. IV Allegro molto
Janice Graham (violin) • Paul Silverthorne (viola) • Moray Welsh (cello) • Israela Margalit (piano)

Violin Sonata
5. I Allegro tranquillo
6. II Variazioni (Andante)
Janice Graham (violin) • John Alley (piano)

Five Bagatelles for guitar
7. 1.Allegro
8. 2.Lento
9. 3.Alla Cubana
10. 4.[Lento]
11. 5.Con slancio
Tom Kerstens (guitar)

Recorded at All Saints’, East Finchley, 29 September 1995, Conway Hall, London, 28 August 1995, and St John’s, Downshire Hill, Hampstead, 14 & 16 September 1994

CD 5 [66.07]
Sir Michael Tippett
Divertimento on ‘Sellinger’s Round’ for chamber orchestra
1. I Allegro
2. II A Lament (Andante espressivo) (Lucy Gould, violin)
3. III Presto
4. IV Adagio
5. V Allegro assai

Little Music for string orchestra
6. I Prelude (Maestoso)
7. II Fugue (Allegro moderato (a tempo doppio più mosso))
8. III Air (Andante espressivo)
9. IV Finale (Vivace)

Sonata for Four Horns
10. I Allegro molto moderato
11. II Allegro giocoso
12. III Lento cantabile tranquillo in stile notturno
13. IV Allegro molto e vigoroso
Michael Thompson Horn Quartet: Michael Thompson, Jeffrey Bryant, Richard Watkins, Hugh Seenan

Concerto for Double String Orchestra
14. I Allegro con brio
15. II Adagio cantabile (David Nolan, violin; Stephen Orton, cello)
16. III Allegro molto
Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields / Sir Neville Marriner

Recorded in Henry Wood Hall, Southwark, 14, 15 & 18 February and 12 & 14 May 1995