A number of years ago, I recorded two chamber works by Alan Rawsthorne: the Studies on a Theme by Bach for string trio, and the unpublished Oboe Quartet no. 1. The disc on which they appeared is sadly no longer available, but I am delighted to say that Steve Plews of Prima Facie Records has rereleased those works on a new Alan Rawsthorne portrait disc.
I took the opportunity to record Rawsthorne’s masterly Cello Sonata, which I had wanted to do since I heard it for the first time in a masterclass at Dartington International Summer School many years ago. I also discovered that there was a small unpublished piece for cello and piano entitled Brother James’s Air, a beautiful reworking of that hymn melody; I am very happy to have been able to bring this gentler piece from Rawsthorne’s output to light.
Details of these CDs, with sound samples, are on my Recordings page.
