Patrick Gallois - Ballet Music - Bacchus - Act III / 2nd Tableau - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The tunes included in these Overtures almost invariably include “Yankee Doodle” and a large helping of Scottish and Irish tunes, presumably appealing especially to those coming from those countries. Other tunes used include the “Marseillaise”, William Shield’s “The Ploughboy”, “Oh dear, what can the matter be”, and, most surprising of all, the opening tutti from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 20 in D minor. The results are clearly of considerable historical interest even if musically to describe them even as second rate might seem an exaggeration of their qualities. However unless you insist on nothing but the best, as did a relation of mine whose entire reading of fiction consisted of “Ulysses” and “War and Peace”, there is much to enjoy here. This is due more than a little to the sprightly performances and clear recording but I think is primarily due to the very appealing self-confidence and ingenuous swagger of the music itself. Despite the political messages that their music is apparently intended to send, the three composers represented here were all British in origin – Reinagle from Scotland and Carr and Hewitt from England. These Overtures have much in common with the music of such composers as Michael Kelly, Charles Dibdin and Steven Storace. Hewitt is best known for a wonderfully naïve Sonata describing the Battle of Trenton, and the works by him on this disc are little more advanced musically. However like all the rest they have charm and curiosity value in abundance. Maybe it is overstating the case to describe them as “American Classics” but this is certainly a disc that I find almost always generates a contented smile in this listener at least. Album Tracks 1. Medley Overture in D minor-Major By James Hewitt 2. Federal Overture By Benjamin Carr 3. New Medley Overture in C Major By James Hewitt 4. New Federal Overture By James Hewitt 5. Miscellan

Album Tracks 1. Le Astuzie Femminili No 1 2. Le Astuzie Femminili No 2 3. Artemisia, Regina Di Caria 4. Il Mercato Di Malmantile 5. Cajo Mario 6. I Due Baroni Di Raccazzura 7. Le Stravaganze Damore 8. I Nemici Generosi 9. Leroe Cinese

It is a little known fact that Bizet's Symphony No. 1, now regarded as a minor masterpiece, was closely modelled on his teacher Gounod's Symphony No. 1, only rediscovered in the 1950s and still unaccountably neglected. Album Tracks 1. Allegro Molto 2. Allegretto Moderato 3. Scherzo Non Troppo Presto 4. Finale Adagio - Allegro Vivace 5. Adagio - Allegro Agitato 6. Larghetto (Non Troppo) 7. Scherzo Allegro Molto 8. Finale Allegro, Leggiero Assai