Ethel Smyth: Concerto for Violin, Horn & Orchestra; Serenade

Ethel Smyth (Composer), Odaline de la Martinez (Conductor), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Odaline de la Martinez
• Composer: Ethel Smyth
• Audio CD (April 23, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B000000AYX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,652 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More please, April 7, 2000

By 

V. Wilson (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ethel Smyth: Concerto for Violin, Horn & Orchestra; Serenade (Audio CD)

Ethel Smyth is best known (if known at all) for her Mass and the opera The Wreckers. If the quality of the music on this disk is any indication, her concert music ought to be in the standard repertoire.

Both pieces on this disk have that tangy sense of modernism found in a number of early-20th century composers who refused to follow Schoenberg and reject the past. Though an Englishwomen, Smyth's music sounds nothing like the pastoralism of Vaughan Williams, nor the grandiloquence of Elgar. In fact, despite echoes of people like Mahler, Nielsen and Dvorak, she really doesn't sound like anyone but herself.

The Serenade moves from a somewhat troubled opening movement through a breezy finale. It's very hard to describe the odd undercurrents in this music which fascinate the ear. Nevertheless, my ears hear a masterpiece that deserves concert hall performances.

The Concerto for violin and horn is a bit of a curiosity. (The notes make no mention of why she chose this odd and somewhat ungainly combination of instruments.) But again, she pulls it off. The beautiful, sad slow movement (titled In memoriam--but we;re not told for whom) is especially moving, but both the outer movements contain memorable themes.

Take the plunge. This is attractive music that should be heard and if enough people buy this disc, perhaps Chandos will favor us with more from Ethel. Performances and sound are up to this labels high standards.