ARNOLD BAX (1883-1953): Variations for Orchestra (Improvisations), CYRIL SCOTT (1879-1970): The Melodist and the Nightingales for Cello and Orchestra, GEORGE BUTTERWORTH (1885-1916): Fantasia for Orchestra (realised and completed Martin Yates) (World Premiere Recordings).

Description: The Bax is an early work from 1904 which he conducted himself at a Royal College of Music play-through that is memorably recounted in his autobiography “Farewell, My Youth”. 24 minutes long, it’s full of attractive stuff if nothing but some bits of orchestration point to his mature style but its fourth variation anticipates the third movement of the 1907 Symphony in F (another Dutton first recording of the recent past). Scott’s 19-minute work (1929) was written for Beatrice Harrison and is right in the genre slot of A Lark Ascending and the very recent A Darkling Thrush by Robin Milford - an orchestral portrait of birdsong beginning in nocturnal hush with the soloist accompanied by Delian nature music, a long climb to a passionate climax and a fade-out ending. The Butterworth exists as 93 bars of full score, dating from the year of his death, which the conductor here has completed using the cyclical form this composer’s other orchestral works often took, resulting in a 16-minute piece that, if not all Butterworth, is an excellent facsimile. Alexei Kiseliov (cello), Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Martin Yates.