Alwyn: Oboe Concerto; Three Concerti Grossi

William Alwyn (Composer), Richard Hickox (Conductor), London Sinfonia (Orchestra), City of London Sinfonia (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: London Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia
• Conductor: Richard Hickox
• Composer: William Alwyn
• Audio CD (October 28, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B000000AL4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,737 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most beautiful Oboe recordings ever made!, May 3, 2001

By 

saint eyebeat "eyebeat" (knoxville, tn United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alwyn: Oboe Concerto; Three Concerti Grossi (Audio CD)

I was listening to a program on NPR from the University of Southern California called the "Record Shelf." At least, I think that was the name. In any event, on that particular day they were playing what they considered to be the very best recordings available featuring the oboe. This CD was on that list. After hearing it on the radio, I purchased it immediately. It is not my absolute favorite Oboe recording but it is my second favorite. This is the premier recording of this Oboe Concerto. The Chandos sound is marvelous. Nicholas Daniel on oboe and Richard Hickox as conductor of the London Sinfonia create a haunting fantasia of sound on the first track of this recording. This Oboe Concerto was initially performed at a Henry Wood Promenade Concert in 1949 by Evelyn Rothwell. It is one of the finest pieces of 20th century music. The remaining four tracks on this disc are equally beautiful but my favorite is the Oboe Concerto. If you want to get to know William Alwyn better, if you love the oboe or if you're just looking for beautiful and mysterious melodies then you'll enjoy this recording.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pastoral Concerto Offering, May 1, 2002

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Alwyn: Oboe Concerto; Three Concerti Grossi (Audio CD)

This composer is new to me, and glad that somehow I became aware and dared to purchase this CD.

Alwyn was himself a virtuoso flutist and composer, thus he very much can relate to the woodwinds. Hence, the great Oboe Concerto played masterfully by Nicholas Daniel. Learning that this was composed during WWII to reflect the British countryside for which Alwyn longed, one gleans the pastoral sounds that emanate from this peaceful, flowing work, gracefully played.

The three Concerto Grossos are fine, especially the third, with its full, rich complement of brass, winds and strings. This exhibits one of Alwyn's strengths, the blending of the various orchestral sections.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars atmospheric, February 26, 2010

By 

jsa (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Alwyn: Oboe Concerto; Three Concerti Grossi (Audio CD)

William Alwyn was a prolific composer with over sixty film scores, five symphonies, a couple of piano concertos, a variety of chamber music and a large number of miscellaneous pieces to his credit. At the heart of his music is an atmospheric pleasantness that is indentifiably British, but not necessarily in the same vein as Holst or Vaughan Williams, who adapted folk material into their music. While Alwyn didn't epitomize the English "pastoral" school, some critics did accuse him of being the "master of the art of nostalgia" - an unbalanced viewpoint in my opinion. Certainly strains of folk material are heard here and there in Alwyn, but his approach is more forward looking, modern if you will.

The Oboe Concerto, which opens this Alwyn collection, is not quite at the same level as Vaughan Williams' concerto for oboe, but is still a very fine work. Like a lot of Alwyn's music, it has an elegiac quality to it, so much so that sometimes it meanders a bit. Though Alwyn may stretch things to the edge in this regard, he knows what he's doing and just when you think things may have gone too far he pulls you right back. The three Concerti Grossi that make up the remainder of this disc bear the distinctive atmospheric imprint of Alwyn and make good companion pieces for the Oboe Concerto, which is the star of this excellent compilation.

For those who are new to the music of William Alwyn, a good starting place would be Alwyn: Lyra Angelica; Pastoral Fantasia; Tragic Interlude; Lyra Angelica. If you like that disc, you're bound to enjoy this one as well.