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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Poulenc - Music for Piano & Wind
Music in the Round is Britain’s leading chamber music promoter outside London. Based in Sheffield, it began in 1984 as a two week long festival in its ‘in the round’ home of the Sheffield Theatres Studio. The Festival is still running along with Autumn and Spring series, a large and expanding education and community programme Music in the Community, a national touring programme, series across South Yorkshire and resident group Ensemble 360. Ensemble 360 has gained an enviable reputation across the UK not only for the quality and integrity of their playing, but also for their ability to communicate the music to a range of different audiences. Formed in 2005, as eleven musicians of international standing came together to take up residency in Sheffield with Music in the Round establishing a versatile group comprising five string players, five wind players and a pianist. “Music in the Round has revolutionised the way people listen to music” Sean Rafferty - In Tune, BBC Radio 3 “There are no weak links in the band, and one can smell the vestiges of polish on the music's eccentrically undulating contours...Eshed's performance of the Flute Concerto is also very colourful and poetic...[Horton's] performance achieves a good measure of the lyricism and sarcasm bound up in the [Clarinet Sonata]...bassoonist Peter Whelan achieves some wonderfully elastic lines” International Record Review, October 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Beethoven - Septet & Serenade
Ensemble 360 was formed in 2005 to take up residency in South Yorkshire with Music in the Round, succeeding The Lindsays who retired as a quartet in July 2005. The ensemble brings together musicians from across the globe to form one versatile ensemble of eleven musicians; five wind players, a pianist, double bassist and the Elias String Quartet. Their home performance space is the Crucible Studio in Sheffield – a 400 seat intimate venue with an extremely special atmosphere. Ensemble 360 believes in its concerts being informal, friendly and relaxed occasions and, although the musicians perform in many traditional chamber music venues they perform ‘in the round’ wherever possible. It is from this ‘in the round’ format that they take their name, Ensemble 360. “The Septet is one of Beethoven's sunniest works, and Ensemble 360 promote the happy mood with playing that emphasises bright, clear tone and springy rhythms… The Presto finale intensifies the performance's vivacious impression as Sara Bitllock attacks the G-string melody with gleeful panache, and later on her virtuoso passages light up the texture. The Serenade is another happy piece, but surprisingly neglected. Guy Eshed's pure, agile flute-playing leads a lively performance, by turns delicate and more robust.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2009 “The Sheffield-based Ensemble 360...responds with elan to the perky brio of the youthful composer’s allegros, minuet and presto...Guy Eshed’s agile flute makes more than usual of the charming, if slight, Serenade for flute violin and viola...An immensely likeable disc.” Sunday Times, 11th April 2010 *** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Spohr - Septet & Nonet
“Where the Nash emphasised expression, Ensemble 360 underline the music's inventiveness - occasionally to incessant effect. Yet the playing is never less than accomplished and this new release will give a lot of pleasure.” BBC Music Magazine, Proms 2007 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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“This is a performance that can stand as a benchmark” BBC Music Magazine “The Sheffield-based Ensemble 360 – a flexible group of up to 11 players – have been drawing enthusiastic audiences with their informal and inventive concerts, often in offbeat venues. As this attractively planned debut CD confirms, their playing is fresh and lively, free from any whiff of bland routine. The Flute Quartet, offered as an aperitif, is blithe and impish in its outer movements, delicately, coolly wistful in the Watteau-esque Adagio.
In the miraculous Piano and Wind Quintet, Ensemble 360 phrase imaginatively, delight in their quick-witted repartee, and handle the ever-shifting balances with care and finesse.
Ensemble 360 are marvellously vivid in the finale, here less gracious, more playful than usual, with the main theme's contrasts of forte and piano piquantly realised.
The unfinished Adagio, K580a, opening uncannily like the motet Ave verum corpus, was probably intended for clarinet and three bassethorns, though it sounds well enough in this (anonymous) completed version for cor anglais and strings. Best of all here is the Clarinet Quintet, performed by Matthew Hunt on the basset clarinet, with its treacly extra low notes displayed to pungent effect in, say, the Ländler-like second Trio of the Minuet. With its briskish speeds, this won't necessarily please those who like to have the Quintet's autumnal associations underlined. But the performance has a natural flow and grace allied to many sensitive touches of colour and timing. Especially appealing are the fire and tension of the first-movement development, the easy lilt of the Minuet (wittily embellished on its final repeat) and the finale's gleeful sense of fun, stilled in the haunting A minor variation, where the solo viola makes delicately expressive use of portamento. The rollicking send-off sets the seal on a touching and thoroughly delightful performance.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010  BBC Music Magazine
Chamber Choice - January 2007 |
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