Journey to Aldeburgh: Young Britten

Journey to Aldeburgh: Young Britten

£12.99
Total playing time [62:42]

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Chamber Domaine
Thomas Kemp (conductor & violin)

Acclaimed ensemble Chamber Domaine with their director Thomas Kemp return to the Resonus label with an exciting programme of early works by Benjamin Britten, including four significant world premieres.

Entitled Journey to Aldeburgh, Chamber Domaine explores works written while Britten was a student at London's Royal College of Music culminating with the Suite for Violin and Pianoforte, Op. 6 and Britten's arrangement for the first Aldeburgh Festival of There is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook composed by his teacher Frank Bridge, and heard on disc here for the first time. Further world premieres include the substantial Introduction and Allegro for piano trio, The Moon for violin and piano and Allegro for solo piano.

Britten's Opus 1, the Sinfonietta - heard here in its rarely-played original version - completes the programme, offering a glimpse into the lesser-known early, and often English pastoral, output of this celebrated composer.

Album Booklet (PDF)

Tracklist

Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
arr. for 12 instruments by Benjamin Britten
1. There is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook *

Benjamin Britten
2. Introduction and Allegro *
for piano trio

3. The Moon *
for violin and piano

4. Allegro *
for piano

Suite for Violin and Pianoforte, Op. 6
5. Introduction
6. March
7. Moto perpetuo
8. Lullaby
9. Waltz

Sinfonietta, Op. 1
10. Poco presto ed agitato
11. Variations & Tarantella

“

' [...] the Chamber Domaine players conducted by Thomas Kemp capture its fragile essence perfectly'

- The Guardian (CD of the Week)

'Among the totally unfamiliar pieces, the real rediscovery [...] is the arrangement for 12 instruments of There Is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook. [...] the Chamber Domaine players conducted by Thomas Kemp capture its fragile essence perfectly [...] The performances are full of that exuberance, and the Sinfonietta has the same irresistible verve.'
The Guardian (CD of the Week)

'[...] a fascinating recital. Thomas Kemp’s ever-reliable Chamber Domaine play with consummate assurance, insightful detail and pleasing feeling and verve in a vividly framed recording. Strongly recommended.
Classical Ear

'Chamber Domaine’s performance is a very impressive one, generating huge energy in the closing tarantella and extreme richness of sonority in the preceding passages. [...] The recording, in a church acoustic, is excellent.'
International Record Review

'[...] Chamber Domaine's choice of works makes for a satisfying and varied programme [...] The performances are faultlessly classy and efficient'
BBC Music Magazine

These novelties are probably enough to recommend Resonus’s recording but there are also lively performances of the spiky Suite for violin and piano, Op 6, from 1935 and the rather more familiar Sinfonietta, Op 1, from Chamber Domaine under director and violinist Thomas Kemp. An enterprising selection.'
Gramophone

'[...] this recording very usefully fills some gaps in the Britten discography [...] With excellent performances and recording, this is a slightly belated but welcome addition to the Britten centenary celebrations.'
MusicWeb International

'[...] I was fascinated by the contents of this CD [...] If you would like to discover some “new” Britten then this disk is an obvious place to look.'
Lark Reviews

Credits
© 2014 Resonus Limited
Ⓟ 2014 Resonus Limited
Catalogue No. RES10139
Producer, engineer & editor: Adam Binks
Cover image: Aldeburgh, Suffolk (adapted) by John Walker (flickr.com - Creative Commons)