John Foulds (1880-1939): an unsung hero of British composition, variously described as a “quintessential eccentric” and as “England’s answer to Charles Ives”. A historical link between Elgar’s Edwardiana and later generation figures like Britten and Tippett.
This latest disc follows the critical and artistic success of Warner Classics’s first volume of Foulds orchestral music released in 2004, performed by Sakari Oramo and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Oramo and the CBSO are pioneering performers of Foulds’ music, whilst Pianist Peter Donohoe is a specialist in early 20th century British music. Like the first disc, this new installment includes a premiere recording and rarely heard works.
The Premiere Recording is “Music-Pictures Group III” (Foulds’s answer to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition). Fould’s “Piano Concerto Dynamic Triptych” is a flamboyant showcase for piano and orchestra, deploying the composer’s interest in unorthodox scales and rhythms, with hints of big-band jazz swagger.
”April-England” is Foulds in pastoral mood. “The Song of Ram Dass” reflects his interest in the Orient; the nostalgic Scottish theme “Celtic Lament” was Foulds’s ‘greatest hit’ during his lifetime.
The project has the backing of the Foulds estate and John Foulds’ son, Patrick, contributes an introductory essay to this unusual but highly charismatic repertoire.