MUSIC WEEK OCTOBER 8, 1983

cover an enormous range — from orchestral to chamber, from popular Meridian ASV Chandos songs to early music, vocal, religious and, shortly, opera. A WIDE range of early music, ASV WAS launched two years ago IN LESS than four years Chandos There is the stunning Music for orchestral music, organ music, Indies with an ambitious recording managing director Brian Couzens piano music and much else can be programme to make a cross-section has nurtured his label into one of the Organ and Brass Band, with not found on Meridian, which first came of records, ranging from carols to market leaders, pursuing a policy of only Walton's Crown Imperial and to widespread notice when it won a piano concertos to solo recitals — unusual repertoire which could, in Elgar's Nimrod, but a striking work, Gramophone award for the song but one of the most successful the right context, appeal to a wide The Fenlands by the organist Arthur recital release A Shropshire Lad, series to develop was a mainly re- audience. Wills (A 66068), which has real performed by the baritone Graham widen issue bargain price series. The recordings of works by crossover appeal. And there are the Trew and the pianist Roger Vignoles composer/conductor, Hamilton bestselling recordings of lesser- (E77031). Called Beautiful Music, it set out Harty, who died in 1941, have made known clarinet concertos by Weber, The label has releases by some unequivocally to appeal to those their mark, both critically and Crusell, Finzi and Stanford, played good British artists — including the with interests in romantic melodies commercially, especially the Irish by Thea King, not to mention clarinettist Thea King, the organist rather than the classical Symphony, coupled with the virtuoso mandolin music. David Sanger and has created the cognoscenti. Beautiful Music I Comedy Overture (ABRD 1027), the So it was not surprising that, last interest in lesser-known harp (ABM 750) was a compilation played by Ralph month, Hyperion scooped one of repertoire through the work of the featuring the cellist Julian Lloyd- Holmes (ABR 1044) and the Children Gramophone's prestigious awards Welsh harpist Sioned Williams, who Webber playing Saint-Saens' The of Lir, a superb choral work (ABRD with A Feather on the Breath of God recorded Harp Music of John Parry Swan, although other young British 1051). All were made with the Ulster by the Abbess of Hildegard of (E 45002) and most recently Harp artists featured as well in popular Orchestra under Bryden Thompson. Bingen, medieval music sung by Music by John Thomas (E 577066). choice repertoire. The first digital recording of . One of the soloists • Distribution Harmonia Mundi. Hoist's great showpiece The on the disc (A66039) is Emma And the following Beautiful Music Planets, made with the Scottish Kirkby, who is one of the most re- releases varied from similar National Orchestra under Gibson spected early music performers. Nimbus compilation albums to individual (ABRD 1010), and Tchaikovsky's Recently, Perry also succeeded in works, such as Tchaikovsky's Little Russian Symphony, the first attracting Dame Janet Baker to BASED IN a magnificent country Pathetique Symphony (Beautiful recording of the original version, Hyperion — for a disc of Songs of house in Gwent, Nimbus is one of Music 6 ABM 753) and Vivaldi's with the LSO under Geoffrey Simon Mahler (A 66100). the most individual of the UK Four Seasons played by Garcia and (ABRD 1071) have also done well. A connoisseur's label, perhaps, independents. Its releases do not the ECO which was made for ASV It was one of the first UK but one with a broad potential too. follow any noticeable pattern except (Beautiful Music 7 ABM 756). companies to work in digital, one of that with the chamber music records the first into CD, and with a — piano records by Vlado Other popular items on the ASV catalogue of over 200 titles, is now Lyrita Perlemuter, (Chopin, Ravel) and label have been carol records by firmly established as a leading Bernard Roberts (Beethoven's 32 Winchester Choir and Wells independent. LYRITA IS a specialist label devoted Sonatas in direct cut format) Cathedral Choir, and Handel's exclusively to British music played Schubert Quartets by the Fireworks with the Scottish generally by British performers, and Chilingirian String Quartet — there Chamber Orchestra under Gibson, the standard of the records is is a distinctive recording sound that as well as discs by ASV artists sufficiently high to make most of the is liked by some and not by others. including the Lindsay Quartet, the Hyperion catalogue Penguin recommended More recently. Nimbus has moved pianist Tamas Vasary, and the performance. into orchestral repertoire, notably conductor Myung-Whun Chung. IF ANY one of the English Not only the top British names are Tchaikovsky, Dvorak from Enrique >•-4 independents is a true reflection of covered — although Britten and Batiz, and "authentic" performance % Recently, the company has had a the diverse but educated and Walton are there of course — but of Beethoven's Symphony No 1 and major success with violin records of shrewd taste of one man, it is there is consistent interest in the No 1, played by Mozart and Bach's Unaccompanied Hyperion Records. Founded by Ted composers such as Gerald Finzi and the Hanover Band. Nimbus is also Sonatas and Partitas by the virtuoso Perry, it has become one of the most the much-underrated William particularly known for its high- Oscar Shumsky, and more consistently interesting and unpre- Alwyn, whose symphonies have quality recording, and cuts and DAME JANET BAKER: recordings are in the offing. dictable of the small labels. been championed by Lyrita. presses its own label — and others. Hyperion coup. • Distribution; PRT. The 115 titles currently available • Distribution: Conifer. • Distribution; Harmonia Mundi.

THE INDEPENDENT LABEL OF DISTINCTION. I | THE INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTOR OF DISTINCTION. HARMONIA MUNDI U*K*

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