Alwyn: Concerti Grossi Nos. 2 & 3 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & David Lloyd-Jones

• 1The Moor of Venice (arr. P. Lane for orchestra)08:50
• Concerto Grosso No. 2
• 2I. Allegro moderato e vigoroso04:41
• 3II. Adagio ed espressivo04:01
• 4III. Vivace (allegro ma non troppo)04:49
• 5I. Prelude: Andantino - Tranquillo - A tempo02:23
• 6II. Bacchanal: Moderato (poco allegro) - Allargando - A tempo01:42
• 7III. Air: Andante molto tranquillo e semplice02:23
• 8IV. Finale: Allegretto - Moderato e molto tranquillo - Presto - A tempo primo (l'istesso tempo)04:33
• 9No. 1. The Little Red Lark: Andantino01:25
• 10No. 2. Country Tune: Allegretto giocoso00:47
• 11No. 3. The Maiden Ray: Moderato e grazioso01:15
• 12No. 4. Reel: The Ewe with the Crooked Horn: Allegro vivace00:43
• 13No. 5. The Gentle Maiden: Andante e semplice01:21
• 14No. 6. The Sigh: Allegretto (quasi andantino e poco dolente) - Piu lento01:33
• 15No. 7. Jig: Allegro e giocoso - poco tranquillo - Tempo primo01:52
• 16I. Maestoso - Moderato e ritmico04:22
• 17II. Andante - Vivace03:30
• 18III. Andante07:15
• Total Runtime57:25

Info for Alwyn: Concerti Grossi Nos. 2 & 3

There are several descriptive scores in William Alwyn’s prolific output, including The Moor of Venice Dramatic Overture which examines the turbulent central character in Shakespeare’s Othello. The Serenade and the orchestral version of Seven Irish Tunes receive première recordings here, both covering a wide range of moods.

Following his acclaimed recording of the Concerto Grosso No. 1 (8.570704), David Lloyd-Jones here completes the set, the second of which is scored for strings, and concluding with the Concerto Grosso No. 3 which is a tribute to Sir Henry Wood.

“The serious stuff lies mainly in the tonal but astringent Concerti Grossi Nos 2 and 3. But Alwyn’s cinematic directness is also displayed in The Moor of Venice, orchestrated by Philip Lane from Alwyn’s brass-band original. His music doesn’t convey depths of emotion, but it is superbly crafted and often gorgeously lyrical.” (The Times)

“Lloyd-Jones, as you would expect of a past master in this repertoire, leads his polished Liverpool players in atmospheric performances of tender affection.” (Classic FM)

“the music is just a delight to listen to: not just as a pleasurable background noise, but for the way it entertains while elegantly dodging the predictable at every turn...The performances are lovely, with David Lloyd-Jones approaching each score...on its own terms.” (BBC Music Magazine)

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
David Lloyd-Jones, conductor

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
is Britain’s oldest surviving professional symphony orchestra, dating from 1840. Vasily Petrenko was appointed Principal Conductor of the orchestra in September 2006 and in September 2009 became Chief Conductor until 2015. The orchestra gives over sixty concerts each season in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and in recent seasons world première performances have included major works by Sir John Tavener, Karl Jenkins, Michael Nyman and Jennifer Higdon, alongside works by Liverpool-born composers John McCabe, Emily Howard, Mark Simpson and Kenneth Hesketh. The orchestra also tours widely throughout the United Kingdom and has given concerts in the United States, the Far East and throughout Europe. Recent additions to the orchestra’s extensive discography include Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony (2009 Classic FM/Gramophone Orchestral Recording of the Year), the world première performance of Sir John Tavener’s Requiem, the first discs of an ongoing Shostakovich cycle and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances and Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3. The orchestra and its new music group, Ensemble 10/10, were jointly awarded Ensemble of the Year in the 2009 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, the most prestigious accolade for live classical music-making in the United Kingdom. Ensemble 10/10 also won the Concert Series of the Year category.

David Lloyd-Jones
began his career in 1959 on the music staff of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, followed by conducting engagements for orchestral and choral concerts, opera, broadcasts and television studio opera productions. He has appeared at the Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera and the Wexford, Cheltenham, Edinburgh and Leeds Festivals, and with the major British orchestras. In 1972 he was appointed Assistant Music Director at English National Opera, and there conducted an extensive repertory. In 1978 he founded a new opera company, Opera North, with its orchestra, the English Northern Philharmonia, of which he became Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. During twelve seasons with the company he conducted fifty different new productions, with numerous orchestral concerts, and festival appearances in France and Germany. He has made many successful recordings, and has an extensive career in the concert-hall and opera- house that takes him to leading musical centres throughout the world. His highly acclaimed cycle of Bax’s symphonies and tone poems for Naxos (Gramophone Award) was completed in the autumn of 2003. In 2007 he was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society.

Booklet for Alwyn: Concerti Grossi Nos. 2 & 3