Search - Herbert Howells, Richard Hickox, Yvonne Kenny :: Howells: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

Inviting and invigorating.

Jeffrey Lee | Asheville area, NC USA | 01/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is refreshing, wonderful sounding music. For me, it's an amalgam or perhaps a distilled essence of the glory of the tradition of British composers. I find Howells to be a very creative and somewhat distinctive musical personality. At times, his music displays an airy, soaring quality of lyricism. In addition, there is both playfulness and pensiveness. All of these qualities are apparent in Suite for Orchestra 'The B's', as they are in the exquisite Three Dances for Viola and Orchestra, performed with Lydia Mordkovitch. Though I'm not a great fan of vocal music, In Green Ways is quite charming in its own way. My honest feeling is that Howells should be regarded as one of the finest of the twentieth century British composers. If you've never sampled his music before and you appreciate the likes of Vaughan Williams, Parry etc., (though, again, Howells is his own musical man), you should do so now. Either this disc or his Orchestral Works, Volume 1, also on the Chandos label with Hickox conducting, is a good place to start."