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Two celebrations from NMC - endymion & Roxburgh
Joanna BAILIE Simon BAINBRIDGE Martin BUTLER Philip CASHIAN Edward COWIE Joe DUDDELL Brian ELIAS Christopher FOX Dai FUJIKURA Anthony GILBERT Morgan HAYES Simon HOLT Vic HOYLAND Colin MATTHEWS Melinda MAXWELL Peter MAXWELL DAVIES Bayan NORTHCOTT Anthony PAYNE Naomi PINNOCK Philip VENABLES James WEEKS Simon WILLS NMC D160 [130 mins, recorded live 4-6 June 2009; 2CDs for the price of 1] A brief welcome with every enthusiasm for this compilation of commissions, from senior figures in British music and younger composers, for the thirtieth anniversary of Endymion, a chamber ensemble formed in 1979 from a group of outstanding National Youth Orchestra students. In its early days Endymion was resident in my local Blackheath Halls, where I reviewed their concerts regularly. Endymion retains most of its original players, now amongst the best European soloists and chamber musicians. The first of these two discs listened to upon receipt (April 2010) has made for an entrancing half hour's listening. Accessible, fresh music, in various contemporary idioms, recorded "live" (apparently before astonishingly silent audiences) to highest standards in Hall One, Kings Place, which has proved to be one of UK's best recording venues. See review of one of those Endymion concerts in Musical Criticism - there is some discrepancy; it took place on 8 June, maybe with performers and invited guests? The discs are officially launched this coming weekend, and audio samples are promised "soon". Recommended as essential listening for followers of British contemporary music.
Edwin Roxburgh Solos & Duos NMC D161 This selection of solos and duets by Edwin Roxburgh (b. )is of more substantial pieces than those in the celebratory Endymion collection.They make for compelling listening and the ordering of the disc maintains interest so that it is good to hear straight through. The solos for strings display assured composing skill in bringing out the best from some gifted musicians and their instruments - all pupils of David Takeno and holders of Martin Trust awards. We had previously remarked Sulki Yu in Soliloquy 3 at the PLGYA 2009 series, and it is good now to have her account of it on disc. Perhaps most interesting of all is Roxburgh's pioneering electro-acoustic At the still point of the turning world … showcasing his own oboe playing and which, when first given in 1979, required the support of twelve technicians to operate the "delay table", explains Chris Redgate today's extreme-oboe successor to Edwin Roxburgh - see him perform it on You-Tube. Heady stuff, putting today's advances in historical perspective. Another splendid disc, one felicitously paired with the endymion ensemble release reviewed above and equally recommended. Peter Grahame Woolf (April 2010)
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