Pre-Order: Phantasy & Song [CD]

The Piatti Quartet continue their exploration of Ina Boyle's music with this fascinating album on the theme of Phantasies, and the vision of one extraordinary patron of music. Walter Cobbett (1847 - 1937) was a successful businessman and chamber music patron, who, created a competition for British composers in 1905, and singlehandedly created the 'Phantasy' (his spelling), taking inspiration from the 16th and 17th century instrumental works for viol or string consorts. Ina Boyle, entered her composition in 1919, but misread the requirements of 'piano & strings'. Herbert Howells entered his composition in 1917, and Malcolm Arnold, whilst coming after the competitions ended, continued the form with his Phantasy composed when he was 19. Cobbett also commissioned Phantasies, including the Vaughan Williams work on this album from 1912. Augusta Holmès depicts the mythological figure of Hibernia in the 7th of her Vingt Melodies - a slow nationalist march depicting Christmases of Irish mythology. Tippett was awarded the Cobbett medal for services to chamber music in 1948, but when Stravinsky died in 1971, he was one of several major composers to commemorate the composer. Dating from 1972, In Memorium Magistri receives it's first recording on this album as do the two works by Boyle.