…No doubt as a result of his experience as an occasional viola player, Britten regularly devises sounds from the four instruments that are totally original, quite unlike anything ever written before.
…The brilliant central
scherzo brings some astonishing effects, while the massive finale…is formidable in its range of expression.
The Barbirollis give warm, idiomatic, intense performances…The superb
Purcell Chacony in G minor makes the perfect pendant to the Britten, while Delius’s
Late Swallows…rounds the disc off charmingly. A very welcome issue. © 2012
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