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Me too Eric!

Thank you.

So did we get anywhere with the question over the third movement? Have the Evergreens slashed and burned? I did E mail them to inquire but only got advertising back from them. I don't really want to go to the lengths of learning Taiwanese in order to get an answer.

Ps Is Mr Hurwitz ever enthusiastic about music?

Ah! Its always disappointing when others don't share your enthusiasm! I will add this then give up. Being disappointed the McEwen Viola Concerto isn't impressionistic or overtly 'Scottish' is like heading into the baker's and complaining they don't sell sausages. The music has it's own qualities.  I also think it is difficult to follow the dramatic narrative of movements that start in one character and key and end in another character and key, like the first movement of the viola concerto. The drama of the opening is not dissipated it is transformed, from pugnacious energy to wistful poetry. It reminds me a little of the first movement of Parry's E minor symphony which has a similar dramatic narrative.

And the Habanera rhythm? Could that not in fact be a Scotch snap?

I have just downloaded the McEwen Viola Concerto and I am so delighted by it I wanted to tell someone. Possibly some of the lukewarm reception it has received on this Forum is because listeners were expecting a more Impressionistic and Scottish folk influenced sound like the Solway Symphony, however the Viola Concerto is from early on in McEwen's career. The sound world is Romantic, but not the kind of Romantic music that takes itself too seriously, after the pugnacious C minor start the first movement calms down to a quiet C major ending and thereafter the concerto is humorously contented with its lot. I found the characterisation of the central movement by the Liner Notes as 'fairy music' a little odd, these must be substantial fairies! It seems to me more of an Intermezzo in the manner of some of the inner movements of Brahms' sonatas and symphonies. I did wonder if the orchestra had fully comprehended some of the intricate interplay in this movement, at times the entwined musical lines don't quite meet up as phrase follows phrase. That is to be hypercritical, the overall standard of playing is highly professional. Despite there being no obvious Scottish influence the main theme of the finale does sound very British to me although I am struggling to discern why. 

I find this a dramatic, melodic and well constructed piece of music idiomatically written for viola and orchestra, and more to the point, I find very emotionally engaging.

Ries' Cello Sonatas are available on Dynamic. Arturo Bonucci (cello), Aldo Orvieto (piano)

Wonder what Naxos mean by Vol.1 as that's it for Ries cello sonatas. There is a nice Introduction and Rondo but that won't fill a disc.

I love Parry's orchestral and choral music but have been consistently disappointed by his chamber music. I have listened to the recordings of his Piano Trios and the Piano Quartet on Meridan and the String Quintet and Quartet on EM Records and found them all deeply uninspiring. I am wondering, is it me or the performers or the music? All of the recordings were premiers and sounded to me like people performing unfamiliar works - stiff phrasing and rhythms, so I suspect it might be the performances. It does put me off buying this latest release of his Quartets.   

I really enjoy the recording of 8 & 9 by Naxos but I can't help suspecting there is something else there to be found by a second recording. The shape of the melody, the rhythmic detail, the orchestral and harmonic balance, all these things could be thought about again, but I think especially some of the pianist's passage work is more motivic than Hinterhubber on the Naxos suspected. 

Thank you. That was bugging me.

So what key is Cartellieri's 4th Symphony in? Anyone with perfect pitch out there? Or who can have a look at the score? Why do CPO or the Evergreens not explain why they are not indicating a key?