OK,again something beautiful recommended by "Gramophone" in their the-best-of-the-month section but also curiously enough,the viola player here (talented Lawrence Power) played with pianist Mikhail Pletnev whose Tchaikovsky recording I love so much. Almost cinematic beauty of piece "Gramophone" selected stayed for me for years until I finally decided,yes I want to hear the whole album and was thrilled to finally get my hands on it.
The album have not one but two quite magical viola pieces by two different composers (York Bowen and Cecil Forsyth) and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra plays like a dream,conducted by Martyn Brabbins - according to "Hyperion" liner notes,both works were very important in transforming viola into a solo instrument and surprisingly enough,Bowen was only twenty-four when his Concerto in C minor was composed! There is something very appealing in yearning tone of Viola and Bowen himself liked it better than violin - in combination with a full-blown symphonic orchestra it is truly very romantic and beautiful music. Alas, with time it is exactly this romantic part that came to be looked down upon as old fashioned and after composer's death his work slowly went into decline,unperformed and almost forgotten. It is through the recordings like this that Bowen and his music start to get noticed again and hopefully it will inspire recording companies to produce more of albums of his work.
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