PATRICK O’MALLEY: THE HORIZONS
Acclaimed composer Patrick O'Malley's The Horizons constitutes a musical odyssey, curated by O'Malley and featuring the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Constantine, with virtuoso violist Brett Deubner. The album explores depths of emotion, dichotomies, and the joys of orchestral expression. O'Malley's viola concerto, named The Horizons, encapsulates a journey of rejuvenation and maturation. Born from the challenges of the Covid lockdowns, O'Malley's composition captures a sense of rebirth, while Brett Deubner's performance on the viola, navigating fragility and strength, demonstrates the delicate balance between soloist and orchestra. Elsewhere, "Obliviana" delves into anxieties surrounding technological advancement, juxtaposing dystopian visions with moments of euphoria, while "Rest and Restless" navigates terrestrial concerns, weaving through emotional landscapes with an orchestral palette amplifying the solo double bass origins. Brett Deubner's expressive playing in O'Malley's "Soliloquy," serves as an encore, highlighting the viola's beauty in isolation.
FALSTAFF
“a striding, symphonic account by a conductor who clearly loves and understands the work, played with polish and flair…the swagger and brilliance of the climactic coronation procession sets hairs on end.”
GRAMOPHONE - review
Constantine has a great love of the piece and understanding of Elgar's late style, and the BBC NOW responds brilliantly to him. Having heard Constantine conduct Falstaff with BBC NOW, I would be keen to hear them in other Elgar symphonic works.
planethugill.com - review
“an in-form BBCNOW and an insightful Constantine are honourable to the “symphonic” aspect of Elgar’s score…I have a feeling I’ll be spinning these discs quite a few times”
Classical source - review
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BEETHOVEN: THE COMPLETE CONCERTOS
“Constantine's attention to exact ensemble, exact entrances, accents, and a forward leaning pulse is just as sharp as Goodyear’s…The intelligence and artistry between Goodyear and Constantine here is a display of intelligent design (my own personal proof of the existence of the Divine).”
American Record Guide - review
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ELGAR: THE NEW ENGLAND CONNECTION
“Andrew Constantine leads a performance of winning affection and attentive spirit; he also secures a commendably spick-and-span response from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who seem to be enjoying making this music’s acquaintance.”
GRAMOPHONE - review
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WALTER BRICHT: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC, VOLUME ONE
The Austrian composer Walter Bricht (1904-70) was one of many musicians of Jewish ancestry who fled Vienna after the Anschluss for the safety of the USA; Bricht became a valued professor at Indiana University in Bloomington. Fittingly, it is the nearby Fort Wayne Philharmonic, in its own debut recording, that has made the first album of Brichts music. The recording reveals another major Viennese voice and points to yet another potentially important career cut off in the bud by the Nazis. Bricht was reportedly Franz Schmidts favorite student, and the late-Romantic styles of the two men are indeed very closely aligned in their mix of Baroque counterpoint, Classical form and Wagnerian chromatic harmony: Brichts Symphony in A minor might almost be Schmidts No. 5.
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