1916 Archive

“BUTTERWORTH: Orchestral Works – The Banks of Green Willow” – Kris Russman – BIS

by Audiophile Audition | Aug 9, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

“BUTTERWORTH: Orchestral Works – The Banks of Green Willow” A Shropshire Lad – six songs orchestrated by Kriss Russman · World première recording of the orchestrated version – James Rutherford (bari.); Two English Idylls; Suite for String Quartette arranged for string orchestra by Kriss Russman; world premiere recording of the orchestrated version; Love Blows As The Wind Blows; James Rutherford (bari.); Fantasia for Orch. completed by Kriss Russman · World premiere recording – BIS multichannel SACD BIS-2195, 74:00 (7/1/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Familiar music by Butterworth re-scored for orchestra, along with some world premieres. George Butterworth was a fine English composer whose life was cut short 2 years after he joined the army and died in the trenches at the Somme in 1916. This disc has several of Butterworth’s pieces, most notably his Orchestral Fantasia (a world premier recording) which he had started just before the war broke out: a 92-bar full score manuscript lasting some three-and-a-half minutes has been preserved. On the first page Butterworth wrote ‘see short score’ which indicated that the work may have been completed but if so, the score has been lost. The composer and conductor Kriss Russman has therefore taken up where the […]