Composer: John Blackwood McEwen, Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performer: Lawrence Power
Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Conductor: Martyn Brabbins
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Hyperion
Catalogue: CDA67839
Release: 2011
Size: 276 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Vaughan Williams: Suite For Viola And Orchestra
01. Group 1 No 1. Prelude
02. Group 1 No 2. Carol
03. Group 1 No 3. Christmas Dance
04. Group 2 No 1. Ballad
05. Group 2 No 2. Moto perpetuo
06. Group 3 No 1. Musette
07. Group 3 No 2. Polka mélancolique
08. Group 3 No 3. Galop
McEwen: Viola Concerto
09. I. Allegro moderato
10. II. Allegretto grazioso
11. III. Allegro con brio
Vaughan Williams: Flos Campi
12. I. Lento
13. II. Andante con moto
14. III. Allegro con brio
15. IV. Moderato alla marcia
16. V. Andante quasi lento
17. VI. Moderato tranquillo
The works on this album, although by two different composers, were all written for the same soloist: Polish-British violist Lionel Tertis (1876-1975). His recorded output was sparse and confined mostly to 78s, but numerous British works of the first half of the 20th century were written for him. He often played an oversized viola and cultivated a big, lyrical sound. British violist Lawrence Power offers instead a distinctively earthy viola made by Bologna builder Antonio Brensi in 1610, and it’s a reasonable substitute. The find here is the rare Viola Concerto by Scottish composer John McEwen, premiered in 1901 in response to Tertis’ first major commission. It is a pure Brahmsian work, but gorgeously written for the viola, whose lines are festooned with large leaps releasing into lambent melody. Power is very strong here and in Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi, for viola, wordless chorus, and orchestra, a work with a rather mystical basis. It has words from the Song of Songs written above the score (and was presented with the Latin texts at its 1925 premiere), but the composer insisted that it was not intended as religious. Power’s rich, deliberate style suits these works very well. The opening Suite for viola and small orchestra, with probably the only movement in the classical repertory bearing the tempo indication Polka mélancolique, lacks zip in the reading by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under conductor Martyn Brabbins, but with fine Hyperion engineering this is a good pick for British music lovers and a virtual must for violists.
Lawrence Power has established himself as the most sought-after violist of his generation and his sumptuous tone and persuasive interpretations have lead to many comparisons with the pioneering British violist Lionel Tertis. Indeed, the three works on this disc were written for Tertis, who did so much to broaden the instrument’s musical repertoire and raise its status to an accepted solo instrument.
The two Vaughan Williams works display an unabashed romanticism and pastoral elegance. Flos Campi, meaning ‘Flower of the field’, was completed in 1925 and puzzled audiences with its ambiguous form and unusual orchestration.
Despite the prominent solo viola and wordless chorus, it is neither a concerto nor a choral work. The seamless viola line moves in unity with the orchestra and the chorus appears as a body of instruments, creating an effect of mesmerizing beauty and calm. The little-performed Suite for viola and small orchestra was written ten years later and contains some of the composer’s most lyrical inventions.
The lush orchestration and memorable themes in Sir John McEwen’s 1901 concerto expose this large-scale work as a neglected gem of the viola repertoire and Power’s performance is sure to set a new benchmark. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, under the expert and unfailingly sensitive guidance of Martyn Brabbins, provides expert backing throughout.