All the scores for this series were newly edited and prepared from manuscripts at the Royal College of Music Library, as these works had been unperformed since the late 19th century, or never performed at all.
Album & Artwork
This album is the second of three volumes presenting all of Henry Cotter Nixon's extant orchestral music, aiming to restore his work to public awareness.
Composition History
Nixon's Concert Overture No. 2, Anima et Fide, is the largest work on this recording, lasting twenty minutes, which was unusually long for concert overtures of its time.
Composer Biography
Henry Cotter Nixon, born in 1842, was the youngest of four surviving children of Henry George Nixon, an organist and composer, and Caroline Melissa Danby, whose mother was mistress to painter J. M. W. Turner.
Performer Biography
Ian Hobson, the pianist on this recording, is known for his performances of Romantic repertoire and neglected piano music, and for conducting from both the piano and the podium.
Recording & Production
For the Prelude to The Witch of Esgair, the conductor Paul Mann created a 'practical performing edition' by adding dynamic and articulation details, and expanding the percussion section beyond the original snare drum.
Composition History
Nixon's family faced financial hardship after his father died in a cholera epidemic, yet resources were found for him to study music in Hull.
