Stanford: Complete Works for Cello & Orchestra (The Romantic Cello Concerto Vol. 3)

Hyperion s third disc in their Romantic Cello Concerto series sees the brilliant young cellist Gemma Rosefield making her label debut. Rosefield was the winner of the prestigious Pierre Fournier Award at Wigmore Hall in 2007 and has garnered great acclaim for her spirited playing. Irish-born Charles Villiers Stanford is far better known for his choral music, but this disc of rarities reveals the composer s original orchestral voice. His D minor Cello Concerto, with its continuous thematic development and lilting melodies, was a major landmark in the repertoire of British cello music. In the overtly romantic Ballata and Ballabile, Stanford displays an extraordinary lyricism. Rosefield gives thoughtful performances throughout, her tone both beautifully consistent and richly hued, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra play with their usual aplomb under the baton of Andrew Manze.