Joseph Holbrooke - Violin Sonatas; Horn Trio (Kerenza Peacock; Mark Smith; Robert Stevenson)

Information

Composer: Joseph Holbrooke

1. Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 6a "Sonatina": I. Allegro.  Marcato e moderato
2. Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 6a "Sonatina": II. Nocturne. Adagio e molto espressivo
3. Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 6a "Sonatina": III. Scherzo. Presto ma non troppo
4. Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 6a "Sonatina": IV. Rondo. Allegro con moto
5. Horn Trio in D major, Op. 28: I. Larghetto sostenuto - Allegro con brio
6. Horn Trio in D major, Op. 28: II. Adagio ma non troppo
7. Horn Trio in D major, Op. 28: III. Molto vivace
8. Violin Concerto in F major, Op. 59 "The Grasshopper" (arr. as Violin Sonata No. 2): I. Allegro con molto fuoco
9. Violin Concerto in F major, Op. 59 "The Grasshopper" (arr. as Violin Sonata No. 2): II. Adagio non troppo con molto espressione
10. Violin Concerto in F major, Op. 59 "The Grasshopper" (arr. as Violin Sonata No. 2): III. Maestoso - Vivace giocoso
11. 3 Mezzo-Tints, Op. 55: 2. L'Extase. Andante semplice

Kerenza Peacock, violin
Mark Smith, horn
Robert Stevenson, piano

Date: 2011
Label: Naxos
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.572649

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Review

Aware that Joseph Holbrooke was a prominent, prolific composer in the early part of the last century, I was curious to hear these pieces. All the performances are of a high standard, often brilliant and imaginative, and I was particularly impressed with Kerenza Peacock’s lithe, elegant violin-playing and her easy conquest of the virtuoso demands of The Grasshopper. I can’t, however, summon much enthusiasm for the music – well crafted, generally amiable but not succeeding in developing the individual, engrossing musical world that such contemporaries as Delius, Vaughan Williams or Frank Bridge do. Most enjoyable is the Sonata No 1, an unassuming, lively piece with classical references, like a more difficult (but less memorable) Dvorák Sonatina. The best parts of the Horn Trio are the beginning and end of its slow movement – a beautiful melody, admirably conceived for horn. The serene mood returns at the close but the music’s development seems purely decorative, evoking a faded romanticism. The outer movements are energetic, with an atmosphere of somewhat forced jollity.

The Grasshopper exists in alternative versions, as violin concerto and duo sonata. The keyboard-writing sounds like a genuine piano part, not an orchestral reduction, but even so the work represents an uneasy compromise; virtuoso tricks à la Sarasate seeming excessive in this chamber-musical context. Once again, the best moments come in the middle movement, where Holbrooke abandons his generally restless tonality and allows his ideas to develop in a natural way.

-- Duncan Druce, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.thestrad.com/cpt-reviews/holbrooke-violin-sonata-no-1-op-6a-violin-concerto-op-59-grasshopper-horn-trio-in-d-major-op-28-lextase-from-mezzo-tints-op-55/
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Aug11/Holbrooke_vc_8572649.htm

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Joseph Holbrooke (5 July 1878 – 5 August 1958) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He attended Royal Academy of Music, where he studied under Frederick Corder for composition and Frederick Westlake for piano. Holbrooke was a late-Romantic composer, writing in a predominantly tonal, though richly chromatic, idiom. Although he was deeply interested in promoting his music, only a small fraction of Holbrooke's large output has been recorded. The advent of the compact disc has brought a revival of interest, including records by Marco Polo, Hyperion, CPO, Dutton, Naxos and Cameo Classics.

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

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