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Red Leaves
Works by 20th Century Composers
Brunel Ensemble
Christopher Austin
Signum Classics are proud to announce The Brunel Ensemble's first disc
on Signum Classics - Red Leaves.
No ensemble other ensemble is as committed to the performance of such
works from all decades of the twentieth century. Formed in 1992, the group
gives thrilling performances under Christopher Austin’s inspired
direction.
John McCabe’s Red Leaves was commissioned by the European
Community Chamber Orchestra and the 1991 Istanbul Festival. Composer
Malcom Williamson studied with Elisabeth Lutyens (as did Robert Saxton)
and he was Master of the Queen’s Music until his death in 2003. One of
Lutyens’ first major success was a setting of Rimbaud, O Saisons, O
Chateau encored at the first performance in 1947 - but noteable for
having previously been turned down by the BBC as unsingable!
The McCabe and Williamson pieces are linked by the common theme of
nature, the latter being inspired by Australian landscape and history. It
was commissioned for the 150th Anniversary of the State of Victoria.
For his anniversary greeting of 1986 on the occasion of his colleague’s
half century, Robert Saxton presented his Birthday Piece for Richard
Rodney Bennett. In which he chose in time-honoured manner to extract from
Bennett’s name the musical notes available as a thematic cipher, and to
fashion them after his own manner into a bracing invention for strings.
Red Leaves is a disc of modern works by British composers.
Please contact Signum Records on +44 (0)870 710 6101 for further
information.
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