Robin Milford's works may seem unfairly neglected and belatedly receiving their due, but this 2004 Hyperion disc may be of interest to fans of early twentieth century British music and few others. Milford's conservative style is a blend of the influences of Vaughan Williams and Holst, and his short pieces for string orchestra may also remind listeners of music by Finzi or Warlock. Yet a depressive quality permeates Milford's work, relieved only occasionally by short bursts of fragile, fleeting happiness. Fishing by ...
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Robin Milford's works may seem unfairly neglected and belatedly receiving their due, but this 2004 Hyperion disc may be of interest to fans of early twentieth century British music and few others. Milford's conservative style is a blend of the influences of Vaughan Williams and Holst, and his short pieces for string orchestra may also remind listeners of music by Finzi or Warlock. Yet a depressive quality permeates Milford's work, relieved only occasionally by short bursts of fragile, fleeting happiness. Fishing by Moonlight, the Elegiac Meditation, Elegy for James Scott, Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch, and the Interlude for flute and strings are not exactly lugubrious, but their gray coloration and melancholic expressions produce an oppressive, overcast atmosphere. Throughout this program, one yearns for signs of ambition, vitality, brilliance, and virtuosity, yet Milford seems singularly unambitious and uninterested in colorful technical displays. The Miniature Concerto in G, the Orchestral...
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