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I have been listening to the Benjamin Violin Concerto quite frequently since I acquired two radio broadcast versions of it last year.  The more acquainted one becomes with it the more memorable its thematic material.  The digital recording of the Dutton CD enables one to appreciate the marvellous orchestration.  The Romantic Fantasy is as fine a recording as the two available alternatives.  The Viola Concerto (the Sonata in its orchestral version) is a great piece disclosing subtleties and exciting climaxes perhaps not as evident in the version with piano.  What a marvellous disc and thanks to Dutton for releasing it.

As the Goossens Phantasy Violin Concerto was radio broadcast and therefore in the public domain is it possible to load it up to the British Music Broadcast section?  It would make a great addition to that section.

The earlier Phantasy Concerto for piano has been recorded by Chandos.  It took a few hearings before it made an impact but it is a fine piece.

Is it possible to purchase a CD of Goossens' Phantasy Concerto?  If so please could you clarify how one goes about this.  Thanks.

What about Eugene Goossens' Phantasy Concerto Op 63 of 1948?

If the Chandos Goossens series continues, as I understand it will with Sir Andrew Davis, hopefully it may receive its premiere recording.

I agree with the above.  For years I longed to hear McEwen's Viola Concerto and thought Chandos were the best bet for releasing it.  Having heard it last year and listened to it several times since I was disappointed, largely because it was unexpectedly romantic and not  what I was expecting from McEwen based on my knowledge of the Chandos CDs (orchestral and chamber music) and knowing McEwen's later Viola Sonata from a recording I obtained from the Scottish Music information Centre many years ago.

I think it may have been the first Viola Concerto written for Tertis and first performed in 1901.  It is a big boned romantic work wholly lacking in the impressionistic, or Scottish snap, one associates with McEwen's later music, hence my disappointment.  However, based on the type of romantic music that many other people on this blog seem to enjoy, I think it could create a favourable impression.  It is certainly a virtuosic piece and well orchestrated.  It compares favourably with other romantic Viola Concertos such as the Bowen.

Its coupling with the Vaughan Williams' Viola works which, so far as I am aware, have never previously been coupled together on CD or LP, suggests it may have been partially sponsored by the VW Trust who sponsored the Chandos McEwen chamber music CDs.

Notwithstanding my reservations, I will purchase the Hyperion CD and well done to Hyperion for rescuing this historic piece by a very fine composer for a modern recording.

According to the web page of violist Sarah-Jane Bradly, in May this year she is recording for Dutton Arthur Benjamin's Romantic Fantasy for Violin, Viola and Orchestra of 1938.  The violinist is Lorraine McAslan and the orchestra the RSNO conducted by John Gibbons.  The Romantic Fantasy is currently available on two CDs, one with Jascha Heifetz and William Primrose (which can be heard on You Tube).  Also being recorded is Benjamin's Elegy, Waltz and Toccata for Viola and Orchestra of 1942.  This is another name for Benjamin's Viola Sonata which Dutton have already recorded and which was also recorded by William Primrose (which can also be heard on You Tube).  This will be its premiere recording in its orchestral version, also known as the Viola Concerto.  As each of these works lasts only about 20 minutes is it too much to hope that the remainder of the CD will be filled with Lorraine McAslan as soloist in the premiere CD recording of Benjamin's superb Violin Concerto of 1932 which lasts about 30 minutes?  I hope so.  Notwithstanding that Benjamin was a pianist these string works are, in my view, the best of his nine concertante pieces.  Here is the link (http://www.sarahjanebradley.com/page7.htm).

Arthur Benjamin's 1932 Violin Concerto is a superb piece and deserves a modern digital recording.  I know it from two radio recordings (one BBC and the other Australian radio).  It is sparsely orchestrated, late romantic in style and its music is more attractive and memorable, in my opinion, than his later piano concerto. 

Chisholm's Hindustani Concerto is a wonderful piece, albeit it required repeated hearings for me to form this view.  It ranks as one of my favourite newly discovered pieces from 2010.  According to John Purser, in his 2009 biography 'Erik Chisholm, Scottish Modernist 1904-1965: Chasing a Restless Muse' (p.140), Chisholm much preferred his second concerto to his first, the Piobaireachd Concerto, which is also a splendid piece. 

However, by no stretch of the imagination could either Concerto be described as 'romantic'.  I would be astonished if they featured in the Hyperion RP Concerto series as they are a far cry from the type of music that is typically discussed on this forum.  I don't think one can really regard Chisholm as a romantic composer.  He promoted modern music through the 'Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music' through which he brought Bartok, Casella, Sorabji, Hindemith, Medtner and Walton, among others, to Glasgow.  Schoenberg was also invited but required fees which the Society couldn't meet.

In 1997 I spoke to Hyperion who, at that time, were considering recording works by Chisholm, presumably on the recommendation from John Purser who completed the sleeve notes for several of Hyperion's Scottish Romantics series.  However, I never got the impression Chisholm was to be included in the Scottish Romantics series.  Nothing came of Hyperion's plans until I saw the recordings by Danny Driver announced in a newsletter on the Erik Chisholm site http://www.erikchisholm.com/ect/index.php.  In recent communications with Chisholm's daughter Morag, initiated by my purchasing a private CD from the Chisholm Trust, it was clear that she is fully aware of the Hyperion recording.

I mentioned the anticipated Hyperion recording to a senior QC at the Scottish Bar who is the current organiser of the Scottish Piano competition.  He informed me that Danny Driver is a previous winner of the competition's Erik Chisholm prize, which may partly explain why he is to record the Chisholm piano concertos.

Ronald Brautigam's very fine performance of the Piano Concerto No 2 'Hindustani' with the BBC SSO conducted by Clark Rundell is available on a non-commercial CD which can be purchased from the Scottish Music Centre, subject to the purchaser signing a contract not to distribute the recording.  See  http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/catalogue/c34367/

However, the Hyperion recording, which presumably will come out in 2011/2012, will certainly be on my list of CD purchases.

I hope Hyperion or Dutton will record Chisholm's Violin Concerto of 1950 which is another of his pieces influenced by Hindustani music.