{"product_id":"nostalgica","title":"Nostalgica","description":"\u003cp\u003e“This is a collection of beguiling works for flute, clarinet and harp trio which revolve around the emotional heart of Elizabeth Poston’s music. In her music, modernity is seamlessly interwoven with a sense of antiquity; of simpler more innocent times and avoids the trappings of being kitsch, naive or ever sentimental. Complimentary works by other composers exhibit rhythmic incisiveness, playfulness and lyricism- all seemingly bathed in a sepia-toned nostalgia. Here is an indomitable partnership of fabulous music and wonderful playing.” George Richford, Producer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Korros ensemble [is] Eliza Marshall (flute), Nick Ellis (clarinet) and Camilla Pay (harp). This is not a traditional combination: the nearest I can think of is the combination of flute, viola and harp for which Debussy wrote one of his late sonatas and Bax his \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eElegiac Trio\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e. The players here seem to have formed their ensemble first and then looked around for repertoire for it. Central to it is Elizabeth Poston, who has three works here, and then comes Howard Blake, who has two. These are surrounded by a group of shorter works by others, but the unifying feature, apart from the beguiling sound of the ensemble itself, is an idiom which seems to derive from Ravel, specifically his \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIntroduction and Allegro\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, which adds a string quartet to the ensemble we have here. And it is none the worse for that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eActually, the first piece here, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJacqueline’s Theme\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e by Nick Ellis, the clarinettist, slightly departs from my description in that the theme itself is so Baxian that the work sounds almost like Baxian pastiche, indeed of his \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eElegiac Trio\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, which I mentioned.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eElizabeth Poston’s Trio which follows was written to a commission from an association of harpists, and was a great success, being chosen to represent Britain at the Brussels World Fair in 1958. It is in four movements, the first close to Ravel, the second an extended elegy for lost countryside, the third a delicate, rather Mendelssohnian Scherzo and the finale perky and dance-like, with s slow moment before the frisky ending.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWe then have Howard Blake’s Trio, which started life as incidental music for a film, which he then arranged into the three movement concert work we have now. The first movement is plaintive with a lilting theme, the second an exploratory and questioning Andante and the Finale a lively dance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCheryl Frances-Hoad wrote her \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVocalise\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e at the age of thirteen, and with it won the Purcell Composition competition in the category of composers under twentyfive. She wrote it originally for soprano, flute and harp, but she reworked it here for the Korros ensemble. It is a charming and effective work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatrin Finch is a harpist as well as a composer and wrote her harp work for the 2016 Eisteddfod of Wales. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNuntii\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e is Latin for messengers or messages and Finch was inspired by Holst’s Winged Messenger movement from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Planets\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, though this was Mercury and not, as the booklet says, Neptune. It sounds like a gentle version of Milhaud’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eScaramouche\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, but with an abrupt end.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWe then have three short pieces for flute and harp by Elizabeth Poston .The first, Ricordanza, has an elegant flute theme like that in Fauré’s Sicilienne. The second is a Barcarolle and the finale a Calypso with a gentle lilt. Her \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eForma\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, which follows, is not discussed in the booklet but is a harp solo.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFinally, Howard Blake’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePenillion\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e started life as a one-movement work for for violin and harp before being reworked in various ways, ending up scored for the ensemble we have here. The main theme is absolutely lovely.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eI suppose none of the works here would count as major but they are all attractive and the sound of the ensemble alone is so delightful that there is a very pleasant hour’s listening here. The recording is impeccable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e--\u003cem\u003eMusicWeb International\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(Stephen Barber)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Convivium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49704008778008,"sku":"0700153370554","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/4057345-2800605.jpg?v=1777696320","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/nostalgica","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}