COMPOSERS: Saxton
LABELS: EMI
WORKS: Concerto for Orchestra; The Sentinel of the Rainbow; The Ring of Eternity; Chamber Symphony: The Circles of Light
PERFORMER: BBC SO, London Sinfonietta/Oliver Knussen
CATALOGUE NO: CDM 5 66530 2 1990
While the rest of us spent the Eighties misguidedly indulging in commercial aggression, selfishness and materialism, Robert Saxton had his nose buried in metaphysical texts concerning light, eternity and other big questions. The music that resulted has a shimmering, agitated character, clearly nourished by the concept of quest and pregnant with some sort of revelation. While a nagging quality dogs some of the works, the Chamber Symphony stands out for its more focused drive and is the disc’s prime attraction. Christopher Wood
Saxton: Concerto for Orchestra; The Sentinel of the Rainbow; The Ring of Eternity; Chamber Symphony: The Circles of Light
While the rest of us spent the Eighties misguidedly indulging in commercial aggression, selfishness and materialism, Robert Saxton had his nose buried in metaphysical texts concerning light, eternity and other big questions. The music that resulted has a shimmering, agitated character, clearly nourished by the concept of quest and pregnant with some sort of revelation. While a nagging quality dogs some of the works, the Chamber Symphony stands out for its more focused drive and is the disc’s prime attraction. Christopher Wood
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:39 pm