Gift for melody, music reminiscent of Finzi, Elgar, Butterwo
Todd Nolan | Seattle, WA USA | 03/13/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Three of my favorite discs to take off of the shelves every few months or so are collections of shorter orchestral works by Gerald Finzi, Edward Elgar and George Butterworth. This Lyrita CD is worth your while if you are also fond of Elgar's 'lighter' pieces, and the type of elegaic miniatures that Finzi & Butterworth excelled at (Prelude & Romance, Introit, Severn Rhapsody, Banks of Green Willow, Shropshire Lad). Leigh's music doesn't reach the heights of Vaughan William's Symphony #5 or Elgar's three masterpieces and Gerontius, but I found myself playing the selections from Midsummer Night's Dream, the lento from Music for String Orchestra & the haunting Andante from the Concertino for Harpsichord over and over weeks after my purchase. Recommended for all classical music lovers, but a must-buy for those who like the English composers connected to the Parry/Stanford/Vaughan Williams/Holst school of nostalgic, folk-tinged, bittersweet melodies."