Alan Rawsthorne: Practical Cats Music by Alan Rawsthorne
Price: £ 10
Street Corner Overture (1944)
Madame Chrysanthème Ballet Suite (1957):
Procession with Lanterns
Sword Dance
Hornpipe
Les Mousmès
Practical Cats – An entertainment for speaker and orchestra* (1954)
Verses from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot
Overture
The Naming of Cats
The Old Gumbie Cat
Gus: the Theatre Cat
Bustopher Jones: the Cat about Town
Old Deuteronomy
The Song of the Jellicles
Theme, Variations & Finale (1967)
World premiere recording
Medieval Diptych, for baritone & orchestra** (1962)
World premiere recording
Coronation Overture (1953)
World premiere recording
David Lloyd-Jones conductor
*Simon Callow narrator
**Jeremy Huw Williams baritone
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
David Lloyd-Jones and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra are completely at home in Rawsthorne’s repertoire, and in Practical Cats renowned English actor Simon Callow brings a wonderful life and character to T.S. Eliot’s familiar words set against Rawsthorne’s ever-inventive music.
In contrast baritone Jeremy Huw Williams presents the world premiere recording of the darkly brooding setting of medieval words, Medieval Diptych, hauntingly atmospheric and dramatic by turns.
This nicely balanced programme, recorded in the sympathetic acoustic of the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, also features the ebulliently witty overture Street Corner, the exotic suite from the ballet Madame Chrysanthème, and two further world premiere recordings – the Theme, Variations and Finale and the atmospheric Coronation Overture.
"Altogether this impressive and important collection is clearly recommendable – and not only for Rawsthorne fans"
Gramophone Magazine
"A well presented collection in excellent performances and recordings filling gaps in the Rawsthorne discography with panache"
MusicWeb International - read the full review
