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Ferguson, Bliss & Holloway: Octets & Clarinet Quintet / Wigmore Soloists
BIS

Ferguson, Bliss & Holloway: Octets & Clarinet Quintet / Wigmore Soloists

Romantic Dramatic Triumphant Nostalgic Uplifting
$21.99

Details

Composer
Arthur Bliss, Howard Ferguson, Robin Holloway
Artist
Wigmore Soloists
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Nov 17, 2023
Catalog #
BIS-2547
UPC
7318599925479

About

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 colors 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 humor as Holloway who wished here to give “an affectionate twist to tonal common practice and light-music clichés all the way from Biedermeier Vienna to Southend Pier”.

Tracklist 13 tracks

  1. 1 I. Moderato 05:22
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Moderato
    Duration
    05:22
    Composer
    Howard Ferguson
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Alberto Menéndez Escribano, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane, Tim Gibbs
  2. 2 II. Allegro scherzoso 03:32
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegro scherzoso
    Duration
    03:32
    Composer
    Howard Ferguson
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Alberto Menéndez Escribano, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane, Tim Gibbs
  3. 3 III. Andantino 05:20
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Andantino
    Duration
    05:20
    Composer
    Howard Ferguson
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Alberto Menéndez Escribano, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane, Tim Gibbs
  4. 4 IV. Allegro feroce 05:27
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro feroce
    Duration
    05:27
    Composer
    Howard Ferguson
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Alberto Menéndez Escribano, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane, Tim Gibbs
  5. 5 I. Moderato 05:45
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Moderato
    Duration
    05:45
    Composer
    Arthur Bliss
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane
  6. 6 II. Allegro molto 07:34
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Allegro molto
    Duration
    07:34
    Composer
    Arthur Bliss
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane
  7. 7 III. Adagietto espressivo 08:19
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Adagietto espressivo
    Duration
    08:19
    Composer
    Arthur Bliss
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane
  8. 8 IV. Allegro energico 06:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Allegro energico
    Duration
    06:04
    Composer
    Arthur Bliss
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Scott Dickinson, Kristina Blaumane
  9. 9 I. Marcia 06:40
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Marcia
    Duration
    06:40
    Composer
    Robin Holloway
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Diego Incertis Sánchez, Sini Simonen, Rachel Roberts, Timothy Gill, Tim Gibbs, Isabelle van Keulen
  10. 10 II. Menuetto alla tarantella 03:16
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Menuetto alla tarantella
    Duration
    03:16
    Composer
    Robin Holloway
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Diego Incertis Sánchez, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Rachel Roberts, Timothy Gill, Tim Gibbs
  11. 11 III. Andante 05:47
    Track
    11
    Title
    III. Andante
    Duration
    05:47
    Composer
    Robin Holloway
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Diego Incertis Sánchez, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Rachel Roberts, Timothy Gill, Tim Gibbs
  12. 12 IV. Menueto - Trio 05:28
    Track
    12
    Title
    IV. Menueto - Trio
    Duration
    05:28
    Composer
    Robin Holloway
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Diego Incertis Sánchez, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Rachel Roberts, Timothy Gill, Tim Gibbs
  13. 13 V. Finale 03:48
    Track
    13
    Title
    V. Finale
    Duration
    03:48
    Composer
    Robin Holloway
    Performer
    Michael Collins, Robin O'Neill, Diego Incertis Sánchez, Isabelle van Keulen, Sini Simonen, Rachel Roberts, Timothy Gill, Tim Gibbs