William Alwyn - Chamber Works Vol.1

William ALWYN (1905-1985)

Chamber Works - Volume 1

Concerto For Flute And Eight Wind Instruments (1980)

Suite for Oboe and Harp (1945)

Naiades: Fantasy - Sonata For Flute And Harp (1971)

Music for Three Players (1950)

Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano (1951)

London Haffner Wind Ensemble

Kate Hill (Flute)

Nicholas Daniel (Oboe)

Julius Drake (Piano)

Ieuan Jones (Harp)

Joy Farrall (Clarinet)

Leland Chen (Violin)

Caroline Dearnley (Cello)

Recorded on 19-23 August 1992 at Faculty Of Music Concert Hall, West Road, Cambridge

Anyone familiar with the scale and spectacle of Alwyn's symphonies might wonder if his chamber music would prove to be inflated. Not so. Its scale is admirable and the part-writing and control of texture endlessly pleases the ear. In short this collection is full of goodies. The very opening of the Concerto for Flute and Eight Instruments brings a luscious burst of sound and then busy intertwining lines. The flute is well embedded in an agreeable mixture of colour, which swirls and coagulates so that, as Alwyn creates his chordal sonorities, the wind balance is rich and succulent, yet never heavy, partly because of the constant surrounding movement. The second movement In tempo grazioso is a piquantly witty little waltz that reminded me somewhat of Sondheim's elegant writing in A Little Night Music (and that is a high tribute). The flute flirts with the main tune, then horns carol, and later a wry secondary theme is particularly attractive when shared by flute and oboe. The sustained Andante has the soloist floating ethereally, developing the same idea more thoughtfully, and later the underlying chords are almost like a melancholy chant. The release comes in the merry finale but not before a slow ''fugato'' begun on the bassoon, and taken up by the others, reaches a climax, and an accelerando produces the hopping and skipping little flute comment. But the lyrical nostalgia returns hauntingly before the whole group produces a burst of swirling energy and, after one more hesitation, the flute leads the pay-off. Structurally this is as appealing as it is tuneful.

The Suite for Oboe and Harp is utterly charming. A gentle ''Minuet'' leads naturally to a pastoral ''Valse miniature'', most delicately articulated by Nicholas Daniel and Ieuan Jones. The closing ''Jig'' is equally winning. The Naiades fantasy for flute and harp is even more delicately transparent, a chimerical piece in six sections (which ought to be cued, or at least indexed). It too has a waltz (somewhat Ravelian) and a flitting finale, like a butterfly in the wind. This leads us naturally into the peaceful opening ''Prelude'' of the Music for Three Players—violin, clarinet and piano. (Again I was reminded of Ravelian delicacy). This is a suite of eight contrasted vignettes and the ''Romance'', which comes second, led by the violin, really tickles the ear. The sixth movement ''Carillon'' brings a hypnotic repeated tolling in a piano figuration, while the piano's upper tessitura leads the closing moto perpetuo, ''Capriccio'' which also brings a dark clarinet interlude. The final work, a two-movement Trio, has some soaring writing for the cello which brings lovely playing from Caroline Dearnley and there is an engaging interplay with the flute. It opens gently while the second movement brings all the positive rhythmic feeling of a mock folk song, yet again has a haunting lyrical counterpart. I have written at length about these works because I enjoyed them all so much and I hope I can tempt you to explore an entirely rewarding anthology. The Haffner Wind Ensemble is very impressive indeed, both individually as personalities and as a team matching timbres expertly. Their playing is full of spontaneity and conveyed enjoyment and the recording is well balanced and very realistic, as we expect from Chandos. The acoustic seems just about perfect. Congratulations to the producer, Tim Handley and the engineer, Richard Lee.'

Gramophone Review