Paul Barritt, Catherine Edwards - Albert Sammons: The English Kreisler - Violin Music (2000)

Tracklist

01. Bagatelle, Op. 3
02. Plantation Dance, Op. 24
03. Lullaby
04. Canzonetta, Op. 20
05. Roumanian Air and Gipsy Dance, Op. 23
06. Petite Chanson
07. Intermezzo, Op. 21
08. Bourrée, Op. 12
09. Rêve d'enfant, Op. 10
10. Dance Caprice, Op. 15
11. Berceuse, Op. 6
12. Sérénade de Printemps, Op. 5
13. Humoreske, Op. 13 No. 2
14. A Song Without Words, Op. 13 No. 1
15. Cradle Song
16. Pensée capricieuse, Op. 9
17. Aubade, Op. 4
18. Air de Ballet, Op. 17 No. 2
19. Minuet triste, Op. 17 No. 1
20. The Faithful Bird "y Deryn Pur"

This delightful record is a throwback to an earlier age, when short salon lollipops were in popular demand and treated with consummate grace and artistry. One of the finest violinists of his generation, Albert Sammons (1887-1957) was known as the 'English Kreisler'; like Kreisler he was self-taught as a composer, drawing on his natural instinct and deep grasp of his instrument's capabilities to create many charming and highly polished morceaux. Many of these pieces (the Dance Caprice for example) exude exhilarating virtuosity, replete with left-hand pizzicato, extensive double-stopping and harmonics, while others have a poignant lyrical simplicity stemming from folk influences. All require great skill from the violinist, and here Paul Barritt and Catherine Edwards pour their hearts into the music, playing with panache and refinement.

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