This recent appraisal of Lawrence Power affirms his status as one of the foremost violists of today, the heir to the long
and honoured tradition of Lionel Tertis and William Primrose. His unwavering musical eloquence and brilliant
technical ability have consistently drawn the highest praise for all his recordings and performances. His renditions of
viola concertos by Walton, Rubbra, Cecil Forsyth and York Bowen have been acclaimed as benchmark recordings. He
now presents a fascinating double-album of York Bowen’s viola music: a selection that fully demonstrates the great
artistry of the composer known as the ‘English Rachmaninov’.
Bowen first came under the spell of the viola player Lionel Tertis when a student at the Royal Academy of Music. He
responded to Tertis’s unprecedented virtuosity and large tone with two sonatas, a concerto and many shorter pieces. He
continued to write works for Tertis throughout his life, all of which are recorded here, and they display the sort of
extraordinary technical challenges which prove what an amazing virtuoso he was.
“All the pieces show Bowen's love of the instrument's capacity to unfold long-limbed, rhapsodic melodies, though his harmonic world rarely strays beyond that of Brahms; Lawrence Power's richly expressive moulding of them is a rare treat in itself.” The Guardian, 27th June 2008 ***
“It is easy to dismiss Bowen’s music as conservative, but the two viola sonatas of 1905 and 1906 are clearly inspired by the romantic style of Brahms’s late sonatas for clarinet or viola. They are worthy successors, at least when played with the sumptuous tone, passionate conviction and supreme technical address that Powers lavishes on them here. Crawford-Phillips relishes the bravura of York’s writing for the piano (the composer’s first instrument) in this superbly executed set, unlikely to be equalled very soon.” Sunday Times, 6th July 2008 ****
“Following his successful recording of Bowen' Concerto, Lawrence Power turns to this repertoire with similar technical ease, and persuasively idiomatic tempo inflections and portamenti (slides).” BBC Music Magazine, August 2008 *****
“…the performances could hardly more glowing. Bowen's writing for both instruments is more than demanding yet nothing detracts from Lawrence Power's and Simon Crawford-Phillips's enviable fluency and achievement.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2008
