Musgrave

Three of the works on this valuable Musgrave release were previously available on Collins Classics although the disc has been generously topped up with Memento Vitae, Concerto in Homage to Beethoven, recorded within weeks of the other works but not previously released. The admirable playing time of 79:34 is all the more pleasing given that all of the Ancora discs will be available at mid-price. All four of the works on the disc demonstrate two significant traits in Musgrave’s fertile output over the years, namely an inherent sense of drama that can ………..

Christopher Thomas @ musicweb-international.com

'Oriental Landscapes' is a subtle showcase for percussionist Evelyn Glennie's skills, and the first piece, Chen Yi's Percussion Concerto tackles the obvious problem head on. She talks in the notes about combining Eastern sounds and folk music with Western art music: 'If you just put them together…then it sounds artificial. But if you can merge them in your blood, then they sound natural together'. For the first two minutes there's the astonishing range of sounds made by a collection of traditional Chinese gongs, and when the orchestra enters ……..

Andrew McGregor @ BBC review

At the forefront of contemporary music for over six decades, Thea Musgrave is one of the leading composers of her generation. She has conducted many of her own pieces on both sides of the Atlantic. Her vividly imaginative and well-crafted scores resonate with audiences worldwide. Fellow composer Judith Weir has astutely ascribed Musgrave’s exceptionally rich and varied catalogue of works to ‘a capacity for constant self-renewal combined with a shrewd awareness of what is currently happening in musical style.’ This release features three of Musgrave’s works- Phoenix Rising (1997), Loch Ness- A Post Card from Scotland (2012), and Poets in Love (2009). Each of these works is receiving here its world premiere recording.