Alwyn: Elizabethan Dances; Oboe Concerto

• Main performer: David Lloyd-Jones
• Booklet languages: English, German
• Time: 71:00
• Release Date: 2006

Review

A proper title for this fifth disc in Naxos' series of recordings of the complete orchestral works of English composer William Alwyn might be "The Lighter Alwyn." With the boisterous Elizabethan Dances, the lyrical The Innumerable Dance, the nostalgic Concerto for oboe, harp, and strings, the evanescent Aphrodite in Aulis, the enchanting symphonic prelude from The Magic Island, and the bumptious Festival March, this volume features Alwyn at his most engaging, most endearing, and most accessible. As in their earlier coupling of his First and Third symphonies, David Lloyd-Jones and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic present a portrait of Alwyn as a genial, genuine, and altogether agreeable composer whose skill as an orchestrator is matched by his talent as a tunesmith. While some might find his Elizabethan Dances a bit old-fashioned and his Festival March more than a bit bombastic, few will deny the charms of the beguiling The Innumerable Dance or the beauty of the Oboe and Harp Concerto, especially as played by oboist Jonathan Small. Although not perhaps for fans of the aggressive modernism of Britten, Alwyn's conservative modernism will appeal to aficionados of Moeran and Vaughan Williams, particularly in Naxos' rich, deep, and colorful sound. ~ James Leonard, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
William Alwyn	Elizabethan Dances for orchestra	17:35
William Alwyn	The Innumerable Dance, an English overture for orchestra	10:34
William Alwyn	Concerto for oboe, harp & strings	18:52
William Alwyn	Aphrodite in Aulis, an eclogue for small orchestra (after George Moore)	5:10
William Alwyn	Magic Island, symphonic prelude for orchestra	10:53
William Alwyn	Festival March for orchestra	7:56

Previous:	Alwyn: Concerto Grosso No. 2; Autumn Legend; Lyra Angelica
Next:	Alwyn: Lyra Angelica; Pastoral Fantasia; Tragic Interlude; Lyra Angelica