Page 115 - ASMF Marriner 100 Coverage Book

If the musician is rather assimilated to the baroque and classical repertoires, he was nevertheless a
regular practitioner of twentieth-century music. He gave the world premieres of William Walton's
Sonata for Strings and Peter Maxwell Davies' Sinfonia concertante. This box set also includes major
engravings by Stravinsky's chamber musician with the Los Angeles Chamber
Orchestra: Pulcinella (complete version), Suites Nos. 1 and 2 , Dumbarton Oaks, the Concerto in Dfor
string orchestra and the Danses concertantes. Tasty and invigorating reads galvanized by the
California sun.

Twentieth-century English music is of course present, with Britten at the head of the bridge, whom
the conductor defends as much in chamber orchestra mode (masterful vocal album with
the Illuminations and the Serenade for tenor, horn and orchestra) as in large orchestra: Purcell's
backfiring Variations on a Theme and Peter Grimes ' Marine Interludes with the Minnesota Orchestra.
From Michael Tippett, another major figure in British music, Neville Marriner brilliantly defends
the Divertimento on "Sellinger's Round", the small music for string orchestra or the Double concerto
for string orchestra. From William Walton, the conductor offers the hit Façade as well as Henry V -
Two pieces for strings.

Through his meticulous approach and the brilliance of his musicians, Neville Marriner was able to
transcend the neo-classicisms by bringing them an energy that was as valiant as it was tasty,
avoiding stiffness and boredom. He thus galvanized Frank Martin's Little Symphony Concertante or
Ernest Bloch's Concerto Grosso No. 1. A brilliant colourist, he knows how to identify the balances and
colours of Respighi's works: Gli Uccelli and Trittico botticelliano.
The conductor liked to venture into repertoires for which he was not the most expected: Copland with
the Minnesota Orchestra or de Falla with his Academy, engravings that were not without interest but
surpassed by the competition.

• Side roads

In addition to these 3 axes mentioned above, we must mention the masterful engraving of
Bizet's Symphony in C coupled with Suites Nos. 1 and No. 2 of the Arlésienne, lean and stylish
interpretations that place Bizet's genius in fruity classicism. Let's not lose sight of an astonishing
compilation of Von Suppé's great overtures that crack like a whip, where others thicken the line. For
pleasure, you have to listen to the album of orchestral arrangements of the great opera arias of Verdi
and Puccini: marginal certainly but very well done. Finally, as we said in the introduction, Sir Neville
Marriner had made a specialty of albums with small pieces and hits: The Academy in Concert, The
Academy by Request, Favourite Orchestral Pieces, The Sound of the Academy. All of them are carried
by a precision of tone that never exaggerates the line.

Therefore, the box, which includes the original covers, is very interesting and it allows us to define, in
its entirety, the art of the chef.

Overall score: 9

To listen to: