Lyrita Classics

Braithwaite: cnd/Davis: cnd/ (Artist), Michael William Balfe (Composer), Lord Berners (Composer), Frederick Delius (Composer), Edward Elgar (Composer), Percy Grainger (Composer), Hamilton Harty (Composer), Gustav Holst (Composer), Ralph Vaughan Williams (Composer), Peter Warlock (Composer), Adrian Boult (Conductor), Andrew Davis (Conductor), Imogen Holst (Conductor), Myer Fredman (Conductor), Nicholas Braithwaite (Conductor), Vernon Handley (Conductor), English Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), London Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), New Philharmonia Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra
• Conductor: Adrian Boult, Andrew Davis, Imogen Holst, Myer Fredman, Nicholas Braithwaite, et al.
• Composer: Michael William Balfe, Lord Berners, Frederick Delius, Edward Elgar, Percy Grainger, et al.
• Audio CD (January 1, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Lyrita
• ASIN: B000YAQPNW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,206 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars there are diamonds in the rough, November 29, 2009

By 

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

This review is from: Lyrita Classics (Audio CD)

It seems as though Lyrita couldn't make up its mind when it came to programming this disc. It has the unfortunate components of what one thinks of as "British Light Classics" - a single variation from Elgar's Enigma Variations, a Pomp & Circumstance March and some other bon bon-type fare (e.g. Lord Berner's The Triumph of Neptune, less than two minutes?) that basically clutter up what is otherwise a very fine program. There's Imogen Holst's benchmark recording of her father's St. Paul's Suite, lovely readings of Delius's Walk to the Paradise Garden conducted by Myer Fredman and Grainger's Immovable Do from Nicholas Braithwaite, and Peter Warlock's Capriol Suite, also from Braithwaite. This is all substantial and enjoyable stuff.

The crowning achievement here, however, is Adrian Boult's majestic 1970 reading of Vaughan William's Tallis Fantasia, which has long been out of circulation. Fine as Boult's reading is on EMI, this recording for Lyrita has grandeur, magic and mystery that is unique. Barbirolli's classic EMI recording sounds almost thin by comparison.

I'm awarding four stars to this disc (shame on Lyrita for programming such a mishmash) even though there's plenty of five star material here. I'm planning to download to itunes and burn a disc sans the fluff and recommend you do the same.