British Music for Cello and Piano

This survey of British cello music focuses on three composers whose critical fortunes have never quite matched their undoubted musical gifts.

William Wordsworth always displayed independence of mind and considerable melodic invention, and his cello works reflect a kinship with the music of Bartók and, later, Shostakovich. The short-lived William Busch is represented by his Suite, both a passionate oration and a brilliant dance. Much earlier in the twentieth century the prolific Josef Holbrooke composed a Fantasie-Sonata that is irresistibly lively and virtuosic.

This is an ex-British Music Society release [BMS436CD] issued in 2010. The disc will be of particular interest to collectors of British chamber music of the twentieth-century as it contains rare never-before recorded works.

Wordsworth and Busch both wrote approachable music. The only other widely available Wordsworth is the recording of his Symphonies on Lyrita. Holbrooke is a somewhat earlier composer but better represented on disc on a wide variety of labels - CPO, Dutton, Cameo, Lyrita, Symposium etc. His music is also on Marco Polo and Naxos recorded his violin works on 8572649. These performances of Wordsworth's Sonata No.2 and Busch's Suite are also on 8571352, differently coupled with works by Leighton and Cooke.