This Hyperion two-disc set of York Bowen's viola works played by violist Lawrence Power is by far the most complete look at any aspect of the English composer's music. Of course, most of the music here was composed in the decade before the First World War, and thus presents a relatively limited view of his career. But since his music fell almost entirely out of favor after the war, there isn't really much more to Bowen's work to reveal. Also a front-rank piano virtuoso, Bowen was a talented composer and well-trained ...
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This Hyperion two-disc set of York Bowen's viola works played by violist Lawrence Power is by far the most complete look at any aspect of the English composer's music. Of course, most of the music here was composed in the decade before the First World War, and thus presents a relatively limited view of his career. But since his music fell almost entirely out of favor after the war, there isn't really much more to Bowen's work to reveal. Also a front-rank piano virtuoso, Bowen was a talented composer and well-trained composer who wrote in a conservative but none the less sincere romantic style full of catchy tunes, warm harmonies, and easily graspable forms. In Power's sweet and skillful performances accompanied by pianist Simon Crawford-Philips, the two sonatas from 1905 and 1906 come as the best-formed works with cogent structures that can contain and control Bowen's big tunes and adroit modulations without becoming episodic. More immediately appealing to some, however, may be the many short,...
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Add this copy of Bowen-Viola and Piano Works to cart. $47.37, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2008 by HYPERION RECORDS: CDA67651/2.
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