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Bach, Brahms and Schumann Orientis Recording Nov 2004 Alwyn, D. Matthews, Holst. Maconchy, McCabe
Dutton Laboratories CD CDLX7186 (67 mins) Gramophone gives a reserved welcome to the repertoire on this disc but has nothing but praise for the 'wonderfully eloquent' soloist. For me, it got better and better as one listened and I was pleased to become acquainted with McCabe's elegiac concerto, Holst's spare late (but he died at 60) Lyric Movement, and especially Maconchy's later, tougher Romance from 1979 (the Royal Academy of Music has been celebrating her centenary this month). In his thoughtful essay, Calum MacDonald rehearses the prejudice - and jokes - about what is, simply, one of my favourite instruments, of which Sarah-Jane Bradley is well up amongst its foremost exponents before the public. A small point about the packaging; jewel-case trays do provide an extra space for illustrations, but they need careful and imaginative attention from art editors. The London Transport Tintern Abbey poster has the Abbey itself hidden under the central circle: q.v. - one of my reviewer's pet hates - "putting the artist photo on the inside centre of the inlay tray as if it were a target on a dartboard" (Article CD Insert Booklets) Recommended. Peter Grahame Woolf
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