The three clarinet concertos on this album by British composers Denis ApIvor, Freda Swain, and Gerald Finzi all date from the mid to late 1940s.
Critical Reception
Freda Swain, a composer on this album, was largely unknown for her large-scale works during her lifetime, with one critic dismissing her music as less complex than John Ireland's.
Composition History
Gerald Finzi's Clarinet Concerto was premiered in 1949, and a cadenza was added at the suggestion of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, a long-time friend and admirer.
Recording & Production
The cover art for this album features 'Talsarn (Christmas Eve) (1981)' by Kyffin Williams, a Welsh painter.
Composer Biography
Denis ApIvor, a composer featured on this album, was born in Ireland in 1916, ten days before the Easter Rising, and later studied medicine at University College London.
Compositional Technique
Denis ApIvor's Concertante for clarinet, piano and percussion features a unique combination of instruments, possibly inspired by Bartók's works for similar ensembles.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Freda Swain's Concertino 'Lumine naturi' was inspired by the philosophical writings of Algernon Blackwood, with each movement headed by a quotation from his work.
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