This third disc in Naxos’ ongoing series devoted to George Frederick McKay (1899-1970) contains some excellent music. Fans of composers such as Vaughan Williams surely will enjoy the Suite on 16th-century Hymn Tunes, scored for double string orchestra and celesta and based on pieces by French composer Louis Bourgeois. It’s really lovely, and the fourth movement, Choeur céleste (featuring the eponymous instrument), easily could become a popular favorite. Song Over the Great Plains is a meditative rhapsody for piano and orchestra, one of so many short concertante works that has no chance of ever being played because it’s a short concertante work. Rhapsody in Blue seems to be unique in this department, but that doesn’t make this pastoral work, thematically inspired by birdsong, any less worthy. Admittedly, pianist Ludmilla Kovaleva’s wiry instrument somewhat lessens the music’s gentle charms, but it’s not a major fault, and technically she handles what must have been totally unfamiliar music with satisfying professionalism.
The Violin Concerto, dating from 1940, is a vigorous neo-classical piece with a rugged opening movement, a lyrical central Andante, and a really exciting finale. It sounds very well-written for the soloist and would make a rewarding concert novelty. Sinfonietta No. 4, from the same period, may remind you of Roussel or Honegger (the opening sounds very much like the beginning of the latter’s First Symphony) in that it features driving rhythms and pungently spiced harmonies that titillate rather than torture the ear. Two short outer movements enclose a memorable Moderato pastorale. As with the previous orchestral music release in this series, conductor John McLaughlin Williams leads energetic and assured performances, and violinist Brian Reagin brings plenty of gusto to his role in the Violin Concerto. The Ukrainian orchestra plays very well, and the sonics are just dandy. Good stuff!
