ARNOLD BAX (1883-1953): Viola Sonata, Concert Piece for Viola and Piano, Legend for Viola and Piano, Trio for Piano, Violin and Viola, Op. 4.

Description: Only one other modern recording of the beautiful viola sonata (1922) is currently available. A fast, almost diabolical scherzo is surrounded by more reflective movements with lovely melodies; while not overtly "Celtic" in style, this work comes from the period when Bax was finishing the "processing" of the bloody suppression of the Irish Revolution and coming to terms with the loss of his youthful, idealistic Celtic period. The nine-minute Legend (1929) is of gloomy character but ends serenely while the early (1904) Concert Piece was notable for its "shocking" elements of "revolution" and "violence" which unnerved some of its first hearers. The 1906 trio, in its version for clarinet instead of viola, appeared in our June catalogue. Martin Outram (viola), Laurence Jackson (violin), Julian Rolton (piano).