Boult conducts Butterworth, Warlock, Hadley, Howells

London Philharmonic Orchestra
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert Downes, viola
Desmond Bradley & Gillian Eastwood violins
Albert Cayzer, viola, Norman Jones cello
Sir Adrian Boult, conductor

Label: Lyrita
Copyright: 2007 Lyrita Recorded Edition, England
Catalogue number: SRCD.245
UPC/EAN: 5020926024527
Format: CD
Analogue / Digital recording: ADD
Number of discs: 1
Total playing time: 68.46
Price: £ 14.99 (+ postage & packing)

Tracks 1 - 6: Recorded at Walthamstow, 14, 15 June 1973, Producer: James Mallinson, Engineers: James Lock, Simon Eadon
Track 7: Recorded at Kingsway Hall, 13 November 1973, Producer: James Mallinson, Engineer: Kenneth Wilkinson
Track 8 - 11: Recorded at Walthamstow, 18, 19 September 1973, Producer: Michael Woolcock, Engineer: Kenneth Wilkinson

The reputation of George Butterworth (1885-1916) as a composer of great promise whose life was tragically cut short on the Somme by a sniper’s bullet, rests on a handful of works: the orchestral pieces on this disc and some songs, chiefly settings of A E Housman and W E Henley ...

"This is a magically haunting collection of miniature orchestral pieces by four composers central to the English Musical Renaissance. Boult knew these works from their earliest performing days and in the case of the Butterworth championed them throughout his long conducting career. He knew the composers and there is a sureness of purpose and rightness about these readings. This would shine through even if the sounds were less golden ..." Rob Barnett, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review

"This lovely CD assembles recordings from a number of LPs that Sir Adrian made for Lyrita in the 1970s. The pieces that are included might be described as miniatures. However, if that term is used it should not be employed in any pejorative sense since the only thing that’s miniature about most of these works is their length ... The recordings were made at various times in the 1970s and all are consistently excellent – a splendid demonstration of the quality of good analogue recordings. I’m glad the engineers did such fine work for they have captured here a series of marvellous performances by a great conductor ..." John Quinn, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review

"There could have been no finer or more appropriate conductor than Boult to undertake these recordings. They were made over the years and at different sessions with two different orchestras but they have the Boult stamp of consistency and elevation, one marked by formal logic, architectural surety and a strongly expressive profile which never breaches the bounds of decorum ... Here’s a compilation of real stature sourced from Lyrita’s vaults and presented in accustomed upland splendour. One not to be missed ..." Jonathan Woolf, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review