Kenneth LEIGHTON (1929-1988)
Orchestral Works, Volume 1
Organ Concerto, Op 58 / Concerto for String
Orchestra, Op 39 / Symphony for Strings, Op 3
John Scott (organ)

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Richard Hickox

The medium of the string orchestra proved significant for Leighton throughout his life and is featured in a number of his important works. The three works in the first volume, each scored for string orchestra, accurately represent his compositional development, complementing one of his earliest student works, the Symphony for Strings, with two of his more mature ones. The Symphony for Strings was premiered by Gerald Finzi and his Newbury String Players while Leighton was still a student. The first major work by the composer for these forces, it was a considerable success, and sparked a friendship between the two composers which lasted until Finzi’s untimely death. Twelve years passed before the composition of the Concerto for String Orchestra. This gap represented a considerable advance in the development of Leighton’s musical language and style as he was exposed to the works of both neoclassical composers and members of the Second Viennese School. However, he retained the lyrical instinct of his earlier years. Completing the disc is one of Leighton’s most enduring orchestral works: the Concerto for Organ, String Orchestra and Timpani. The soloist is internationally-renowned concert organist John Scott, particularly acclaimed for his performances of works by 20th-century composers.

One of the most distinguished post-war British composers, Kenneth Leighton’s works are frequently performed both in the U.K. and abroad. His music maintains a compelling balance between Romantic tradition and early serialism. His lyrical and colorfully orchestrated works not only suggest a lively, if often dark, imagination, but also demonstrate a remarkable scope explored by few of his countrymen. Richard Hickox and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales present the first of two releases devoted to Leighton’s orchestral works.

Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Piano Works, Volume 3
Children’s Corner / Suite bergamasque / Danse Bohémienne /
Nocturne / La plus que lent / Mazurka / Rêverie /
Deux Arabesques / Morceau de concours / The Little Nigar /
Hommage à Haydn / Berceuse Héroïque / Page d’Album / Élégie

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet releases the third volume in his critically acclaimed series devoted to the complete works for piano by Debussy. The recording includes the two famous collections: Children’s Corner and Suite bergamasque, as well as two rarities: La plus que lente, which foreshadows the 1915 Études, and Élégie. Élégie was written in 1915 following the composer’s move to the coast. The outbreak of the First World War had initially depressed Debussy into a state of creative sterility, but the move was most productive. The Élégie was written for a charity and dedicated to Queen Alexandra, honoring the role of women in wartime. It is rarely performed nowadays, but Roger Nichols writes, “it is one of the composer’s most extraordinary works …and we are left wondering what on earth Debussy would have written in the 1920s and beyond …”

Tags: BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Berceuse Héroïque, Chandos, Children’s Corner, Claude Debussy, Concerto for String Orchestra, Danse Bohémienne, Deux Arabesques, Élégie, Hommage à Haydn, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, John Scott, Kenneth Leighton, La plus que lent, Mazurka, Morceau de concours, Naxos, NaxosDirect, Nocturne, Organ Concerto, Page d’Album, Rêverie, Richard Hickox, Suite bergamasque, Symphony for Strings, The Little Nigar