Charles Villiers Stanford - Irish Rhapsodies (Vernon Handley)

Information

Composer: Charles Villiers Stanford

CD1:

1. Irish Rhapsody No. 1 in D minor, Op. 78
2. Irish Rhapsody No. 2 in F minor, Op. 84 "Lament for the Son of Ossian"
3. Irish Rhapsody No. 3 for cello & orchestra, Op. 137
4. Irish Rhapsody No. 4 in A minor, Op. 141 "The Fisherman of Loch Neagh and what he saw"

CD2:

1. Irish Rhapsody No. 5 in G minor, Op. 147
2. Irish Rhapsody No. 6 for violin & orchestra, Op. 191
3. Clarinet Concerto in A minor, Op. 80: 1. Allegro moderato
4. Clarinet Concerto in A minor, Op. 80: 2. Andante con moto, ma più tranquillo
5. Clarinet Concerto in A minor, Op. 80: 3. Allegro moderato
6. Concert Piece for organ & orchestra, Op. 181
7. Oedipus Rex, incidental music, Op. 29: Prelude

Raphael Wallfisch, cello (CD1 3)

Lydia Mordkovitch, violin (CD2 2)

Janet Hilton, clarinet (CD2 3-5)

Gillian Weir, organ (CD2 6)

Ulster Orchestra

Vernon Handley, conductor

Date: 1986-1991

Label: Chandos

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%207002

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

PERFORMANCE: ***** / SOUND: *****

Stanford was a prolific composer with a magnificent technical command of the orchestra, and all the music here sounds extremely well. Some of the pieces, notably the Clarinet Concerto and the Fourth and Sixth Rhapsodies – the latter with solo violin – are compelling indeed, though they are hardly known in our concert life. With a distinguished array of soloists, committed playing from the Ulster Orchestra and richly sonorous sound, these discs will give much pleasure.

-- Terry Barfoot, BBC Music Magazine

More reviews (different issue):

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/jan04/Stanford_Rhapsodies.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Six-Irish-Rhapsodies-Piano-Concerto/dp/B0000VM3XQ

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor. Some regarded Stanford, together with Hubert Parry and Alexander Mackenzie, are responsible for a renaissance in music from the British Isles. In 1882, aged 29, he was one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music, where he taught composition for the rest of his life. From 1887 he was also Professor of Music at Cambridge. His students included Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams and many more. His composite style is conservative and his music was eclipsed in the 20th century by that of Edward Elgar as well as former pupils.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Villiers_Stanford

***

Vernon Handley (11 November 1930 – 10 September 2008) was a British conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. Handley is much revered for his enthusiastic and untiring championship of British music, including many lesser known, unfashionable or relatively neglected composers whose artistic reputations and popularity he often helped to revive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Handley

-------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!