Philharmonia Orchestra

“self-recommending. Boyd Neel once said that Dennis was the finest Mozart player on any instrument.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition

…it’s a most beautifully written piece, as Paul Watkins was eager to reveal. The Times

“It's hard to imagine a more beguiling start to this series or a more appealing introduction to Richard Rodney Bennett than this CD. It begins with a Partita that has a spring in its step and the breeze of the countryside blowing through it.
Bennett's way with fashioning long strands of melody is a special feature of his lyrical writing.
It's a gift he may owe, in part, to the songwriters he admires, like Kern and Arlen. In the Lullaby second movement there's a glorious outpouring of instrumental song ravishingly realised by the Philharmonia under Hickox's fervent direction.
The finale has players paired off in the manner of a concerto for orchestra.
A chanson by Josquin provides the theme for the Reflections on a Sixteenth Century Tune, which enshrines a homage to Peter Warlock, whose Capriol Suite similarly drew on Renaissance music.
The scoring is breathtaking, with soloists highlighted against the muted string ensemble. Jonathan Lemalu characterises Before Sleep well with colour, dynamics and some exquisite quiet singing in the upper voice, notably in Bennett's memorable setting of 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star'.
Reflections on a Scottish Folk Song ('Ca' the yowes') was written in memory of the Queen Mother. It's the most substantial piece here, with a formidable cello part played with great feeling by Paul Watkins. There is a Scottish lilt in some of the variations, a beautiful Interlude, and a brilliant finale that concludes pianissimo, like a Scottish mist enclosing by stealth. It's hard to imagine anyone not being enraptured by this CD.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“A good selection of Schoenberg works here receive excellent performances on this Naxos release under Robert Craft’s expert direction.” Musicweb International

“Any Stravinsky recording making the point that the 20th century's paramount composer wrote more than just a few early ballet scores (however great those are) is resoundingly welcome, and even more so at Naxos's bargain price… If you're curious to explore beyond The Firebird and The Rite of Spring, don't hesitate.” Classic FM Magazine

“This superb collection duplicates the aurally fascinating Harmonia Mundi disc (see opposite) in the Cantata and the superb Mass in fine, authoritative performances from Robert Craft.
He does not have the advantage of Carolyn Sampson among his soloists but he does have excellent choral singing, and in the glorious Symphony of Psalms the Philharmonia Orchestra on top form. This is the highlight of the programme, a superbly structured account, rich in lyrical feeling, building to the frisson-creating 'Alleluias' of the closing section. The Cantata is finely sung and played, with characteristically clear instrumental detail, and the mini-cantata Babel, with its spoken narration and choral responses, is also a success.
The programme opens with three brief Russian sacred chorales which are immediately appealing and as idomatic as one can expect from non-Russian singers. The recordings were made over a decade between 1992 and 2002 and are of good quality, with the Symphony of Psalms (2001) – made at Abbey Road – standing out on all counts. Craft is obviously uplifted by the music of the composer's supreme vocal masterpiece.
As always with Naxos, excellent documentation, with the detailed notes provided by Craft himself. A bargain!” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010