Emily Beynon - British Flute Concertos (2012)

The promised British flute concertos are in somewhat short supply on this Chandos release, with only The Magic Flute Dances of contemporary composer Jonathan Dove and the Flute Concerto, Op. 36, of Lennox Berkeley starting life as such a thing. The Poulenc work included is not, of course, British at all, but was arranged by Berkeley for flute and orchestra from a sonata for flute and piano, and the William Alwyn work, although titled Concerto, was originally for the unusual ensemble of flute and eight wind instruments. It's hard to see what was gained by turning it into a flute-and-orchestra concerto; the version here occupies an uncomfortable space between the original (a lot of the wind writing is kept) and a full-orchestra piece. As for Poulenc, his presence mostly just illustrates his melodic fecundity compared with his British followers. Positives include the agile playing of Welsh flutist Emily Beynon, the clean work of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and most of all the Dove work, which was composed in 1999. As the title suggests, it is built on motives from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, but it's far more than a travelog through the opera's famous themes. Instead Dove takes off from the idea of an evocative forest flute in the opera itself, imbuing the work with threads of small Mozart motives that enter different surroundings. It's a light piece but an utterly charming one, and here's hoping it gets further play; it certainly adds general interest to an album mostly aimed at the British music hardcore.

Track List:

JONATHAN DOVE
(b. 1959)
premiere recording
The Magic Flute Dances (1999)
Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
1. Light - Tentative, getting faster and bolder -
2. [Cadenza] - Expansive, rapturous - Gently (twice as fast) - With movement, but plaintive -
3. Angry - Desolate - Gently moving -
4. Slow - A little held back - Moving forward -
5. Lively - Entranced
WILLIAM ALWYN
(1905-1985)
premiere recording in this version
Concerto (1980)
for Flute and Eight Wind Instruments
Arranged 2006 for flute and orchestra by John McCabe (b. 1939)
6. 1 Allegro ritmico - Meno mosso - Più mosso (Tempo I) - Ancora più mosso
7. 2 Allegretto scherzando - Tempo grazioso (quasi Tempo di valse) - Cadenza - Tempo I
8. 3 Andante sostenuto e semplice - Pochissimo meno mosso - Tempo I - Meno mosso -
9. 4 Allegro vivace - Cadenza - Tempo moderato (sempre con moto) - Allegro
FRANCIS POULENC
(1899-1963)
Sonata, S 164 (1956-57) for Flute and Piano
Arranged 1976 for flute and orchestra by Sir Lennox Berkeley
10. I Allegro malincolico - Un peu plus vîte - Tempo I
11. II Cantilena. Assez lent - Più vivo -
12. III Presto giocoso - Subito più lento - Tempo I (Presto)
SIR LENNOX BERKELEY
(1903-1989)
Flute Concerto, Op. 36 (1951-52)
To John Francis
13.I Allegro moderato - Cadenza - Andante - Un poco più lento
14.II Presto
15.III Adagio
16. IV Allegro vivace - Meno vivo - Tempo I - [Cadenza] - Presto

Performers:
Emily Beynon flute
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Conductor: Bramwell Tovey