Yorkshire-born composer Arnold Cooke (1906-2005) has appeared here before with his 3rd Symphony and ballet suite Jabez and the Devil. This time it's his Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra, completed in 1956 and given its premiere at the 1957 Cheltenham Festival by Gervase de Peyer under Charles Mackerras.
John France, in a review of another recording of the concerto, wrote:
"Cooke is often dismissed as being ‘sub-Hindemith’ in his musical style. He is criticised for lacking any ‘Englishness’. This present concerto lays that myth to rest. Especially so with the gorgeous middle movement which evokes the English countryside to the extent that the composer indulges in an exact transcription of a blackbird’s song. The opening movement is complex, founded on four separate themes that evolve in sequence and in dialogue. In spite of this complexity, the general mood is one of lyricism and a feeling of the open air. The finale is typically vivacious, however there is a reflective middle section. This is happy music, without a care in the world. It may not be Delius or Vaughan Williams, but Arnold Cooke suggests the spirit of place as well as either of them. It is not dry-as-dust or pedantic, as his critics would have listeners believe. "
Cartridge: Miyajima Shilabe
Phono amp: Graham Slee Accession MC
Turntable: CTC Classic 301 with SME M2-12R
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