Music for Flute and Harp
William
ALWYN
"Naiades".
Henk
BADINGS "Ballade"
Benjamin BRITTEN "Suite for Harp",
Op.83
Atli Heimir SVEINSSON Intermezzo from
"Dimmalimm"
Franz SCHUBERT Sonata in A minor,
"Arpeggione"
Elisabet Waage, Harp. Peter
Verduyn Lunel, Flute.
AC Classics AC94001
[DDD 66:28]
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This disc comes with a high recommendation indeed. Embossed on the front
cover are the words "Recommended by Yehudi Menuhin", and, on the final page
of the booklet, the complete testimonial duly signed by the great man. Quite
how Menuhin came to be involved with the recording or artists we do not know.
The musicians are new to me, Peter Verduyn Lunel being Dutch and having played
with, amongst others, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Netherlands
Ballet Orchestra, whilst Elisabet Waage is Icelandic and divides her time
between Iceland where she plays with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and
Holland.
The music appears at first glance to be an interestingly eclectic mix although
the works by William Alwyn and the Dutchman Henk Badings, who were almost
exact contemporaries, inhabit a curiously similar sound world. Alwyn's
wonderfully atmospheric tone picture of water nymphs is, as always with Alwyn,
beautifully crafted and superbly written for the flute, which was the composer's
own instrument. The suitably "watery" textures of the music are well exploited
by Lunel and Waage with some particularly limpid flute playing which admirably
captures the spirit of the music. Like Alwyn, Henk Badings taught for much
of his life. His Ballade was written in 1950 and at nearly fourteen
and a half minutes is a substantial work. Again like Alwyn, Badings exploits
the colouristic possibilities of the instruments to the full, combining textural
subtlety with music of melodic interest which he binds together to form a
convincing and satisfying whole. The artists play with sensitivity and
demonstrate an impressive range of expression.
Britten's Suite for Harp receives a similarly committed performance from
Elisabet Waage. Written for Osian Ellis this was Britten's only solo work
for the harp although anyone familiar with A Ceremony of Carols will
immediately recognise the idiomatic writing for the instrument. In five movements
which include a lively Toccata, a haunting Nocturne and an
agile Fugue, Britten brilliantly contrasts the many facets of the
instrument whilst Waage demonstrates both delicacy and clarity in the faster
passages.
After a brief but attractive Intermezzo by the Icelandic composer
Atli Heimir Sveinsson based on the folklore of his native country the disc
concludes with the much re-arranged "Arpeggione" sonata of Schubert.
The ill fated Arpeggione (effectively a kind of six stringed cello with fretted
finger board) has long since disappeared, but we are used to hearing this
work performed on a string instrument with piano accompaniment. Despite the
sensitive performance which it here receives, something of the richness of
the work is lost with this combination of instruments. The playing is enjoyable
nonetheless.
In summary, an attractive disc, which is most valuable for the inclusion
of the two fine works by Alwyn and Badings. The quality of the recording
is excellent with a natural sounding acoustic and admirable clarity of detail.
Christopher Thomas.
Performance and sound
