Download opera libretto (131kB)

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Download songs' text (142 kB)

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Download songs' text (134 kB)

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2 CD SET - CDLX 7248

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Dutton Epoch is delighted to present this ear-opening, pioneering traversal of Gordon Jacob’s complete music for viola and orchestra – all world premiere recordings – that covers over fifty years of the composer’s life. Here we have the two numbered concertos and the tuneful Concert Piece (essentially a third concerto) with Graham Parlett’s orchestration of the Three Pieces from 1930. All are played with fine style and characteristic tone by viola soloist Helen Callus accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Stephen Bell. At the RCM Jacob was a composition pupil of both Stanford and Vaughan Williams, and the glorious First Concerto of 1925 was inspired by the playing of Lionel Tertis. Jacob explores the dual nature of the viola, alternating between music headed ‘rugged and virile’ and a plangent ‘gentle and singing’ style particularly appropriate to the viola. All lovers of British orchestral music of this period will surely take the First Concerto to their hearts; the modal slow section theme is fully worthy of his teacher Vaughan Williams in its wide-spanning lyricism and atmospheric orchestration. This is a remarkable work of its time; at the recording sessions, no one could understand why it is not regularly heard.

"Here is yet another invaluable entry in Dutton's unending series of indispensable releases devoted to first recordings of important nut neglected 20th-cebtury English music, giving us all three (the fourth orchestrated by Graham Parlett) of the works for viola and orchestra by prolific and long-lived Gordon Jacobs (1896-1984)"
"In all four works Helen Callus shows herself to be one of the foremost violinists of her generation. Her effortlessly expressive playing is ably abetted by the versatile BBC Concert Orchestra under Stephen Bell."
"... no one with the least bit of interest in English music can afford to pass this disc."
Paul A Snook, Fanfare, September/October 2011

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"This is deeply impressive record, undoubtedly of niche status in that the Concert Allegro (c. 1901) was Elgar's most important work for solo piano (written for Fanny Davies) but it was never published during his lifetime.
It has taken Iain Farrington to realise Elgar's plan which he did some years ago, and he has done a very fine job, most convincing in that he has added virtually nothing in terms of additional music to score. Farrington has also done a superb job in his solo piano transcription of the Second Symphony.
The recording quality is excellent."
Robert Matthew-Walker, International Record Review, April 2012

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