This is a curious disc and the sleeve-notes / booklet has four excellent
pictures by Edward Walker but we are told absolutely nothing about the composers
and any other work of theirs. Compositions by two composers are infuriating.
We do not know who is responsible for what. It is rather like the Berkeley
/ Britten Suite: Mont Juic of 1937 - who wrote what? All that is known
is that it was written when these two composers lived together before Peter
Pears became Britten's friend and lover.
The music is colourful with a gorgeous sound and sometimes of epic proportions.
It tends to be lengthy and defeat itself whereas it does not compare with
the great orchestral works of the sea such as Debussy's La Mer, Bax's
Tintagel, Bridge's The Sea and Britten's Sea Interludes
from Peter Grimes or Humphrey Searle's Tamesis.
But it is pleasant enough and would make stirring film music: "Hey-ho, me
hearties!" Sadly, we do not have Robert Newton, Errol Flynn or that dashing
villain Basil Rathbone any more.
Reviewer
David Wright
Performances
Recording