Search - Charles Villiers Stanford, Martyn Brabbins, Glasgow BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra :: Stanford: Violin Concerto in D & Suite for Violin and Orchestra

British composer Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) was of the generation of Edward Elgar and, like Elgar, Stanford was greatly influenced by the great German composers of the late 19th century. The two works on this disc from Hyperion show the influence of Brahms and, to some degree, Wagner, along with the influence of Elgar himself. The Suite for Violin and Orchestra (of 1889) is a modest yet tuneful work that echoes Wagner, especially in the middle movements. Its final movement is more "British," with clear Elgarian flourishes. Stanford's Violin Concerto in D major (of 1904) is a more mature work, with stronger, folklike melodies carried by the orchestra. Both works are given warm, if conservative, readings here, and, typical for Hyperion, the sonics are excellent. --Paul Cook