Product Review

This is a remarkable coupling of tuneful music. E. J. Moeran, who died in 1950, has a considerable following for his fine Symphony in G minor, and concertos for violin and cello. It has long been known that he left sketches for an unfinished Second Symphony, which have rivalled those of Elgar's Third Symphony as a tantalising musical 'might-have-been' among British symphonic scores. Now in a remarkable parallel with Anthony Payne's performing edition of the sketches of Elgar's Third Symphony, conductor Martin Yates has realised and completed the sketches of Moeran's Second Symphony to reveal a glorious work given wing by this idiomatic performing edition, brilliantly played by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Yates's baton. It is accompanied on this CD by Moeran's Overture for a Festival, which survives only as an undated piano score. In a work thematically linked to the G minor Symphony, this idiomatic orchestration was made by Rodney Newton for its first performance at the 1994 Norfolk and Norwich Festival, and here receives its premiere recording. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the death of John Ireland, The John Ireland Trust have commissioned Martin Yates to orchestrate the piano suite Sarnia: an island sequence (1940-41), which provides a charming companion to the Moeran works. In these three movements - Le Catioroc, In a May Morning and Song of the Springtides - we have, if not quite an English La Mer, certainly a distinctive and colourful score. World premiere recordings. Track listing: E. J. Moeran: Sketches for Symphony No.2 in E flat (c.1939-50) Realised and completed by Martin Yates (2011); John Ireland: Sarnia - an island sequence for orchestra (1940-41) Orchestrated by Martin Yates (2011); E. J. Moeran: Overture for a Festival (c.1930-35) Orchestrated by Rodney Newton (1994 rev. 2011)