Suckling

The great patriotic opera of the 17th century, recorded here in a lively new performing edition after two decades in the Gabrieli’s touring repertoire. Notoriously difficult to present on disc or in concert, this version presented by Gabrieli was created to allow an obvious musical narrative, despite Purcell’s music often being completely dislocated from much of the original theatre context.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra has long been known for championing British contemporary music and, following two albums entirely dedicated to Thomas Wilson, the orchestra now turns to other leading composers of the contemporary scene. Devised by conductor Rory Macdonald, the programme includes works that share the themes of loss, love and life: Jay Capperauld’s Our Gilded Veins takes centre-stage, alongside Within Her Arms , Anna Clyne’s ‘fragile elegy’ ( The New Yorker ), James MacMillan’s legend-based The Death of Oscar and the commemorative For Zoe , Martin Suckling’s Meditation (after Donne) – which features church bells from across Scotland – and Peter Maxwell Davies’s Farewell to Stromness (in an arrangement for strings by Rosemary Furniss), which arguably features the composer’s most recognisable tune.