MacMillan: Piano Concerto No. 2/ A Scotch Bestiary Piano Orchestral & Concertos Chandos

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SIR JAMES MACMILLAN

(b. 1959)

premiere recordings

A Scotch Bestiary (2003-04)*

33:35

Enigmatic variations on a zoological carnival at a Caledonian exhibition

for organ and orchestra

Dedicated to Gillian Moore MBE

Total time: 21:01

The book is opened. Andante -

1:28

Ode to a cro-magnon hyena. Adagio -

2:33

A page is turned. Tempo I -

0:42

Reptiles and Big Fish (in a small pond). Largo-

1:57

Her Serene and Ubiquitous Majesty, Queen Bee. Senza misrua. Prestissimo possible, sempre legatissimo -

2:10

Another page is turned. Tempo I -

0:57

The red-handed, no-surrender, howler money. [ ] - Tempo di marcia -

1:36

Uncle Tom Cat and his Chickens. Adagio -

2:00

Yet another page is turned. Tempo I -

0:41

10.

Scottish Patriots. [ ] - [ ] - Maestoso -

2:11

11.

The Reverend Cuckoo and his Parroting Chorus. [ ] -

1:34

12.

Jackass Hackass. Prestissimo possible (moto perpetuo) -

1:41

13.

The book is closed. Tempo I -

1:29

14.

II. The menagerie, uncaged

12:28

Andante - [ ] - Meno mosso - [ ] -

Piano Concerto No. 2 (1999; 2003)†

29:56

for piano and string orchestra

In memoriam Edwin Muir

15.

cumnock fair. Fast

12:08

16.

shambard. crotchet = c. 60

7:59

17.

III

shamnation. Allegro (Tempo di Reel)

9:49

Total time: 63:46

Solo: Wayne Marshall organ* and piano†

Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic

Conductor: Sir James MacMillan

14 December 2004 (A Scotch Bestiary); 22 February 2005 (Piano Concerto No. 2)

MacMillan was never so entertaining or Provocative as on this disc. Piano Concerto No. 2 is based on Scottish dances and MacMillan’s concern is to awake the Scots from the unreality of the twee heritage of a ‘sham nation’. The Bestiary is a Mussorgsky-like parade among zoo cages for full orchestra and organ. Marshall conjures up some very unchuchy sounds on the huge Bridgewater Hall instrument, especially for the bee and howling jackass.

The Times

In both works Wayne Marshall covers himself in glory, as, for that matter, does the BBC Philharmonic under the composer’s direction. The sound is superlative to match. MacMillan’s legion of admirers needn’t hold back.

Gramophone

Wayne Marshall’s performance is irresistible,. The work will simply blow your socks off! There is so much to hear; you’ll want to listen to it again and again…

The Organ

James MacMillan conducting brilliant performances of his own exhilarating variations for organ and orchestra and Piano Concerto

Gramophone 2006 Critic’s Choice

Review of A Scotch Bestiary: The piece was certainly fun: riotous, at times cacophonous, wittily orchestrated and cleverly structured. It also brilliantly integrated the organ into the orchestra proper. All these things and more merged in the work’s second half, a crazy but exciting amalgram…

Los Angeles Daily News

MacMillan was never so entertaining or provocative as on this disc. Piano Concerto No. 2 is based on Scottish dances and MacMillan’s concern is to awake Scots from the unreality of the twee heritage of a ‘sham nation’. The Bestiary is a Mussorgsky-like parade among the zoo cages for full orchestra and organ. Marshall conjures some very unchurchy sounds on the huge Bridgewater Hall instrument, especially for the bee and howling jackass.

This is fun- two recent works from Scottish composer James MacMillan that make Sassnachs Wayne Marshall and the BBC Philharmonic trip the Highland Fling. A Scotch Bestiary is MacMillan’s Carnival of the Animals, flamboyantly scored for organ and orchestra, and a work where reference to Mussorgsky, Elgar, Wagner and Messiaen’s bird song are tossed into a fantastical stew.

Classic FM Magazine

It’s [A Scotch Bestiary] all brought off with tremendous zest by Wayne Marshall and the BBC Philharmonic under the composer’s direction; but they’re just as much at home in the contemplative, painfully affectionate parts of the concerto.

BBC Music Magazine

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