Latin students will tell you that
the word Eclogue is usually taken to refer to a poem in the classical
style and is invariably on a pastoral subject. Many poems in this genre are
referred to as ‘Bucolic.’ Sometimes,
they were devised as a dialogue or even as a singing competition between two
shepherds or goatherds. This literary device is helpful in appreciating much of
this captivating, but not demanding CD.
The above noted shepherds often seemed to have played wind instruments (pan pipes and flutes) so it is appropriate that the opening work is written for that most pastoral instrument, the oboe. The Devon born composer Clive Jenkins penned his Three Pieces for oboe and strings as recently as 2021. That said, there is a timelessness about this music that defies stylistic categorisation. The three contrasting movements are, Pastorale (naturally!), Air and Scherzo.
The best known number on this disc is Gerald Finzi’s eponymous Eclogue. Originally the slow movement of an abandoned piano concerto dating from 1927, it was given its present title by his friend, Howard Ferguson. A contemporary reviewer stated that the Eclogue’s “…calm serenity…[was] typical of Finzi’s slow movements...there is a rare mood of tranquillity – it unfolds in a Bachian manner [an aria?]” It is a perfect synthesis of English pastoralism with an older baroque style. The other movements of the “concerto” would appear as the Grand Fantasia and Toccata, op.38, in 1953.
I have not knowingly come across any music by Don Shearman. The two tracks on this CD come from a charmingly titled (but undated) suite Eine Kleine Leichtmusik. Venice in the Rain celebrates the composer’s “favourite holiday destination.” As the liner notes state, it is only a passing shower and not a downpour. The piece is presented as a gentle barcarolle, the song of the gondoliers, which is often used to evoke the Serenissima. Shearman’s other contribution is Seventeen going on Eighteen. This has nothing to do with celebrating the rite of passage from holding a driving license to being allowed to drink alcohol! The fact is that it is all to do with time signature mathematics. It is characteristic of 1950s light music. It is delightful and has all the hallmarks of that genre. There are obligato passages for solo violin and harp.
Alan Ridout’s Concertino for flute and strings was completed in 1978. It is one of a series of concerted works that he wrote between 1974 and 1979. This Concertino is in three movements with the Scherzo being the second. The heart of the composition is the slow, and pensive, finale. Despite being the most “advanced” item on this CD, there is nothing challenging. This is my big discovery on this album.
Two arrangements follow. In 1960, William Lloyd Webber wrote a series of six Country Impressions for a variety of wind instruments with piano accompaniment. Unfortunately, only two of them have been recorded – Frensham Pond and Mulberry Cottage. The former is one of the loveliest things that Lloyd Webber wrote. Even the title of this little piece for clarinet and piano will inspire the lover of English music. Frensham itself is down near Farnham and is now a beautiful mix of woodland, heath and water. It is small wonder that Lloyd Webber was attracted to this place. Yet this is no rambling pastoral whimsy. It is controlled, economical and straight to the point. Peter Cigleris has provided the present arrangement for clarinet and string orchestra. It is a minor desideratum that someone will issue the full set of Impressions.
No introduction is needed for Ronald Binge’s ubiquitous The Watermill dating from 1955. Readers of a certain vintage will recall its use as an interlude on TV. Slightly more recently it was heard in the BBC television adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s evergreen The Secret Garden (1975). This is a lovely pastoral piece that makes an accomplished use of the solo oboe and strings. Included in the score is a harp which lends weight to the cascading effects of the water. It is music to soothe even the most troubled mood.
The only piece dating from the nineteenth century on this disc is the surprisingly fresh and timeless Romance from Concertino for Harp and Orchestra, op. 34 (1847) by Elias Parish Alvars. Alvars was regarded as one of the “greatest and certainly one of the most significant classical harpists of his day.” This slow movement is quite simply gorgeous in its gentle exposition of musical material. It would be ideal if SOMM could revisit this composer and record the entire work, with the present soloist and band. After all, it did get Hector Berlioz’s “enthusiastic endorsement” when published in Paris.
The poignant Y Deryn Pur was written in 2007 for that year’s Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts. It was scored for oboe, violin, viola and cello. Souped up for full string band for this recording, it is an exquisite bit of impressionism. The title translates as The Gentle Dove. It is another of my “big” discoveries on this album.
Joseph Horowitz is surprisingly ignored by broadcasters and record companies. Born in Vienna in 1926, he emigrated to Britain in 1938. He remained here until his death in February 2022. Not beholden to any particular “school,” he wrote much approachable music. The present Concertante for clarinet and strings was completed in 1948: it was his first acknowledged orchestral work. This short piece encompasses many different moods – from infectious rhythms to moody introspection. It is grateful to the soloist and is balanced by effective string writing.
Originally one of a set of piano duets, Robin Milford’s Mr John Peel Passes By was arranged for string orchestra around 1930. It was the first of Two Orchestral Interludes. It is a short, but subtle, adaptation of the well-known Cumberland Hunting Song. The other Interlude was Ben Jonson’s Pleasure which was an adaptation of the famous melody to his song, Drink to me Only. It is a pity that this could not have been included on this CD. But what to omit?
The final work is the Piano Concertino by Clive Jenkins. This was finished in 2018 and dedicated to the present soloist, Margaret Fingerhut. The liner notes are correct in celebrating the fact Jenkins is “unafraid in the teeming world of contemporary art to write music that communicates itself to the…listener.” It is certainly a gratifying score. The opening and closing movements are vivacious and are balanced by a beguiling Moderato. This latter could easily become a Classic fm favourite.
This enjoyable album is well played in its entirety. The soloists and the Chamber Ensemble of London under Peter Fisher are clearly enthusiastic about this cornucopia of British music. The liner notes by Robert Matthew-Walker provide a satisfactory introduction to all this repertoire. The usual CVs of the performers are given. Best of all is the cover graphics: Wassily Kandinsky’s redolent Painting Impression III (Concert, 1913).
Track Listing:
Clive JENKINS (b. 1938)
Three Pieces for Oboe and strings (2021) [9:09]
Gerald FINZI (1901-56)
Eclogue, op. 10 (1929) [11:01]
Don SHEARMAN (b.1932)
Venice in the Rain (Eine Kleine Leichtmusik)(?) [2:32]
Alan RIDOUT (1934-96)
Concertino for flute and strings (1978) [7:45]
William LLOYD WEBBER (1914–82)
Frensham Pond (arr. Peter Cigleris (b.?) (1960) [2:56]
Ronald BINGE (1910–79)
The Watermill (1955) [3:41]
Elias Parish ALVARS (1808-49)
Romance from concertino for harp and orchestra, op. 34 (1847) [4:57]
Cecilia MCDOWALL (b.1951)
Y Deryn Pur (2007) [8:10]
Don SHEARMAN (b.1952)
Seventeen Going on Eighteen (Eine Kleine Leichtmusik) (?) [3:20]
Joseph HOROVITZ (1926-2022)
Concertante (1948) [8:10]
Robin MILFORD (1903–59)
Mr John Peel Passes By (c.1930) [1:58]
Clive JENKINS
Piano Concertino (2018) [12:05]
Chamber Ensemble of London/Peter Fisher
Margaret Fingerhut (piano), Gabriella Dall’Olio (harp),
Peter Cigleris (clarinet), Judith Hall (flute), Michael Stowe (oboe)
rec. 9 September 2020, Henry Wood Hall, London; 1 December 2009 (Finzi, Jenkins Piano Concertino), 6 December 2015, (Lloyd Webber, McDowall), Kingston University
SOMM RECORDINGS SOMMCD0653 [75:54]
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