費格森 / 布利斯 / 霍洛威:八重奏及單簧管五重奏 / 威格摩爾獨奏家合奏團 (SACD)

作曲家: Howard Ferguson /  Arthur Bliss / Robin Holloway
樂團: Wigmore Soloists

Refined English works performed by the Wigmore Soloists

Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, violin; Scott Dickinson, Rachel Roberts, viola; Kristina Blaumane, Tim Grill, cello; Tim Gibbs, double bass; Michael Collins, clarinet; Robin O'Neill, bassoon; Alberto Menendez Escribano, Diego Incertis Sánchez, horn Howard Ferguson Octet, Op. 4 (1933) Sir Arthur Bliss Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (1932) Robin Holloway Serenade in C, Op. 41 (1979) www.bis.se Refined English works performed by the Wigmore Soloists Following their critically acclaimed albums of Schubert (BIS-2597), Mozart and Birchall (BIS-2647), works for clarinet trio (BIS-2535) and, more recently, Beethoven and Berwald (BIS-2707), the Wigmore Soloists now turn their attention to twentieth-century English chamber works which, while eschewing some of the continent's modernist tendencies, are both deeply personal and supremely written, highlighting the specific colours of each of the instruments. Howard Ferguson's Octet, a direct and engaging work, was the first of his works to attract attention. Ferguson's skill is brilliantly demonstrated in this tonally ambiguous work, which takes its instrumentation from Schubert's famous Octet. The main characteristic of Sir Arthur Bliss's Clarinet Quintet, like those of Mozart and Brahms with the same instrumental line-up, is its intense, overtly emotional lyricism, but the sunny, extrovert aspects of Bliss's character ultimately prevail in the brilliantly energetic finale. Robin Holloway's Serenade in C for octet is the most recent work on this disc, and also features the instrumentation of Schubert's Octet, which the composer acknowledges as a model. Few contemporary composers display as keen a sense of humour as Holloway who wished here to give “an affectionate twist to tonal common practice and lightmusic cliches all the way from Biedermeier Vienna to Southend Pier”.

SACD曲目:

Howard Ferguson (1908—99)
1—4) Octet, Op. 4 19'56
Arthur Bliss (1891—1975)
5—8) Clarinet Quintet, F. 20 28'00
Robin Holloway (b. 1943)
9—13) Serenade in C for octet, Op. 41 25'15
 
TT: 74'09