My copy of ECPC3 arrived today and first impressions of the recording are extremely favourable. At last we have a commercial release of the major 'missing link' in Somervell's orchestral catalogue (the 1912
Thalassa Symphony), together with another substantial (early) work by Mackenzie,
La Belle Dame sans Merci (1883). The substantial 'makeweight' is Holbrooke's
Pantomime Suite for Strings, Op.16 (dated to the early 1900s).
The orchestral sound is very good, in a resonant (but not
too resonant) acoustic and, what is more important, the Malta Philharmonic are more than capable. There are helpful notes by the conductor, Michael Laus, and Gareth Vaughan (the type-face is small but readable with a bit of concentration) and an insignificant error in the track listing gives the last movement of the Somervell as
Clown (transposed from the last movement of the Holbrooke) when it should be 'Allegro'. All in all a highly enterprising release which deserves the support of all those interested in British music.
Volume 4 (noted on the back of the booklet as a January '12 release) is detailed as being set to contain Kenneth Leighton's Piano Concerto No.1, together with three works by Ruth Gipps: the Piano Concerto, Op.34; Theme and Variations for Piano, Op.57a; and
Opalescence, Op.72.
