Search - Hubert Parry, Charles Villiers Stanford, Capricorn :: Parry & Stanford: Nonets

Chamber music by Parry and Stanford

J-c | Canada | 07/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in 1987, this beautiful record was first released as a current Hyperion but eventually reappeared on the Helios series. What a marvelous set of works it is, and how accurate and well rehearsed are the players of the Capricorn ensemble! I did not really enjoy the program on first hearing, but since then every new listening brings much pleasure and reveals a little extra on its own---making one forget the wrong side of life. Sir Hubert Parry's 'Nonet' (i can't escape the fact that it's a word i really don't like) is a relevant example of his 'early' musical works and as expressed here it confirms how keen and refreshing a composer he was. The sound is quite splendid by any standard, and if anything the natural timbre of instruments is as close to reality as it is possible on a recording (a quality generally recognized for most of the titles on Hyperion). The work by Sir Charles Stanford, suitably entitled 'Serenade', is of a high class as well ; one should not forget to mention the almost contemporary character and timeless 'peculiarity' of both works, as well as the tonal beauty and modern romanticism that make them fall squarely in the tradition of Elgar. Not surprisingly, the all instrumental works have a 'vocal quality' to them which is authentic in its reflection of the early period of the 20th century. Also unmistakable is a 'sonorous englishness' that pervades the Serenade and Parry's Nonet : The Capricorn knew how to play these and we can feel a measure of the pleasure they took making this music."