Richard Hickox – Alto CD

Great Anthems & Choruses

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:47:04 +0000

(Hickox) “fine digital collections sung with fervour and discipline … zestfully infectious … shaped beautifully … brass resonantly sonorous … fully in the demonstration bracket” (Penguin Guide)

01. O Fortuna (Carmina Burana – Orff) 2:48

02. Les Voici (Carmen – Bizet) 4:00

03. A Deux Cuartos (Carmen – Bizet) 2:04

04. Anvil Chorus (Il Trovatore – Verdi) 2:57

05. Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Nabucco – Verdi) 5:18

06. Soldiers’ Chorus (Faust – Gounod) 3:00

07. Gli arredi festivi (Nabucco – Verdi) 4:40

08. Grand March (Aida – Verdi) 4:14

09. Polovtsian Dances (extract) (Prince Igor – Borodin) 3:45

10. Zadok the Priest (Handel) 2:58

11. See the Conquering Hero (Judas Maccabeus – Handel) 2:52

12. Hallelujah (Messiah – Handel) 3:38

13. Lacrimosa (Requiem – Mozart) 2:57

14. Shepherds’ Farewell (L’Enfance du Christ -Berlioz) 4:33

15. Lord of the Dance (S.Carter) 3:04

16. Myfanwy (J.Parry) 2:50

17. Linden Lea (Vaughan Williams) 2:03

18. All Thro’ the Night (Trad./E.Jones) 2:36

19. The Long Day Closes (A.Sullivan) 3:49

20. Nkosi Sikele’le Afrika (E.Sotonga) 3:10

21. Ode to Joy (extract) (Symphony 9 – Beethoven) 8:35

Elgar: Violin Concerto; Piano Concerto; Polonia Crown of India; Civic Fanfare

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:45:56 +0000

“(Concerto): Hickox unfurls the opening tutti richly, nobley, purposefully … no lack of brilliance, the fireworks are dashingly, tastefully despatched … sudden flashes of Paganinian dazzle”
(others): “The slow movement of the Piano Concerto … with a sympathetic performance from Margaret Fingerhut. Douglas Bostock is persuasive with his Elgarian rubato, which is what matters most.” (Gramophone)
“Polonia is to my mind, one of the finest works Elgar wrote … The nail-biting martial music mixes with spine-tingling Polish themes to reach a gloriously romantic and bombastic conclusion … a splendid reading by Bostock. The disc receives one of Classico’s best recordings to date with painstaking preparation in evidence throughout as his Munich players play with true commitment and dedication” (MusicWeb)

Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.61 (1910) [46:47]

[1] I. Allegro 16:53

[2] II. Andante 11:36

[3] III. Allegro molto 18:17

[4] Piano Concerto, Op.90 (slow mvt) (transcr. P.Young 1956) 6:06

(Margaret Fingerhut, piano)

[5] Polonia, Op.76 (Symphonic Prelude) 1915 12:47

The Crown of India Op.66 (exc) 1912:

[6] March 4:26

[7] Hail Immemorial Ind ! 6:33

(Mette Christina Ostergaard, mezzo)

[8] Civic Fanfare (Hereford, Three Choirs Festival, 1927) 1:22

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana Cantiones Profanae

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:43:42 +0000

“brilliantly recorded CD … choir makes us understand all about sexual abandon – ‘I am bursting out all over’ is a joy … soprano makes a rapturous contribution … delectable, ravishing climaxes” (Penguin Guide 3 stars) “the digital sound means we notice things not discovered before: the piano part, and superb tuba contributions … the clarity of the consonants when the chorus hisses out the words ‘O furtuna’ in the closing section is very telling … splendid playing – trumpets and horns are joyously thrusting, the solo bassoon most piquant, while in their round dance the strings are positively smoochy … this (Abbey Rd) version is demonstration class” (Gramophone)

FORTUNA IMPERATRIX MUNDI
[1] O fortuna 2:44
[2] Fortuna plango vulnera 2:39
I PRIMO VERE
[3] Veris ieta facies 3:26
[4] Omnia sol temperat 1:47
[5] Ecce gratium 2:34
UF DEM ANGE
[6] Tanz 1:37
[7] Floret silva 3:14
[8] Chramer gip die varwe mir 3:11
[9] Rie, swaz hie gat umbe
Chume, chum, geselle min: swaz hie gat umbe 3:48
[10] Were diu werlt alle min 1:25
IN TABERNA
[11] Estuans interius 2:14
[12] Olim lacus colueram 3:31
[13] Ego sum abbas 1:37
[14] In Taberna quando sumus 3:10
COUR D’AMOURS
[15] Amor volat undique 3:01
[16] Dies, noxet omnia 2:09
[17] Stetit puella 1:49
[18] Circa mea pectora 2:09
[19] Si Puer cum puellula 1:00
[20] Veni, veni, venias 1:03
[21] Intrutina 2:08
[22] Tempus est iocundum 2:14
[23] Dulcissime 0:39
BLANZIFORET HELENA
[24] Ave formosissima 1:47
FORTUNA IMPERATRIX MUNDI
[25] O fortuna 2:42

Walton: Symphony No. 1 / Violin Concerto

amuletts — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:37:19 +0000

“Hickox and Accardo take their time most satisfyingly in the dreamy ostinato in the middle movement making the zest and flitter of the presto sections all the more effective. In the finale seductive tenderness meets rapturous grandeur.”
– Rob Barnett, Musicweb International

Alto is pleased to return to the international catalogue two outstanding recordings of music by Sir Wqilliam Walton originally issued on the Collins Classics label.

Sir William Walton

Symphony No.1 in b-flat minor

I. Allegro assai 14:22
II. Scherzo: Presto con malizia 6:11
III. Andante con malinconia 10:31
IV. Maestoso – Allegro, brioso ed ardentemente – Vivacissimo – Maestoso 13:09

Violin Concerto in b minor

I. Andante tranquillo 11:14
II. Presto capriccioso alla napolitana 6:53
III. Finale: Vivace 12:39