George Butterworth’s Fantasia dates from the year of his death, 1916. Before being sent to fight in France he destroyed several manuscripts, but left intact some 93 bars of full score of the Fantasia from which conductor Martin Yates has realised and completed this lyrical and deeply moving performing edition. Aleksei Kiseliov is eloquent in his championship of Cyril Scott’s The Melodist and the Nightingales, an atmospheric cello reverie, while Arnold Bax’s earliest orchestral work, Variations for Orchestra (Improvisations), unheard for over a hundred years, is a gorgeously melodic score showing the young composer to be remarkably skilful in his handling of the orchestra.

George Butterworth

1 Fantasia for Orchestra (1916)
Concert version realised and completed by Martin Yates (2015) Lento ma non troppo – Andantino – crochet=minim – Allegro – Andantino – Calmato – Lento ma non troppo – Andantino

Cyril Scott

2 Poem ‘The Melodist and the Nightingales’ for cello and orchestra (1916) AK
Adagio – Gioioso – Tempo Tranquillo

Arnold Bax

Variations for Orchestra (Improvisations) (1904) with CHRISTOPHER NICKOL organ
3 i Moderato allegro [the statement and initial elaboration of the theme]
4 ii Variation 1: Alleg ro moderato
5 iii Variation 2: L’istesso tempo
6 iv Variation 3: Andante con moto
7 v Variation 4: Tempo di valsero
8 vi Variation 5: Burlesque (Allegretto scherzando)
9 vii Variation 6: Allegretto e simplice
10 viii Finale: Allegro vivace

AK ALEKSEI KISELIOV cello
ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA
conducted by MARTIN YATES
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS

This SACD is compatible with all CD players

CDLX7326

“Yates fashioned a highly effective Fantasia that attempts to place Butterworth’s final thoughts in ameaningful context” “There’s also plenty to warm the cockles in Cyril Scott’s Poem for Cello and orchestra … it’s a gorgeously sultry, delicatably fragrant evocation. … Kiseliov makes a lovely job of the solo … Yates secures impressively secure results” “... all captured with conspicuous realism by Dutton microphones.” Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone, May 2016