Moeran: In the Mountain Country; Rhapsodies; Overture for a Masque (2014)

performed by Benjamin Frith (piano), Ulster Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta (conductor)
composed by E.J. Moeran

The appointment of the American JoAnn Falletta as chief conductor of the Ulster Orchestra resulted in several fine releases of music by Irish-English composer E.J. Moeran, who had somewhat fallen into neglect. Moeran's music is like a harmonically spiked version of Vaughan Williams', with broad structures marked out by melodies in a traditional way but with a good deal of chromaticism and a bit of an edge that's not always easy to pin down. He had a knack for tunes that sound as if they were drawn from folk song books, but ... Read More

The appointment of the American JoAnn Falletta as chief conductor of the Ulster Orchestra resulted in several fine releases of music by Irish-English composer E.J. Moeran, who had somewhat fallen into neglect. Moeran's music is like a harmonically spiked version of Vaughan Williams', with broad structures marked out by melodies in a traditional way but with a good deal of chromaticism and a bit of an edge that's not always easy to pin down. He had a knack for tunes that sound as if they were drawn from folk song books, but were not. Falletta has been a specialist in just this sort of thing, and she and the Ulster Orchestra deliver sharp, sparkling performances here. The best-known of these pieces is the tone poem In the Mountain Country, written early in Moeran's career, but the real finds are the three Rhapsodies, the last of them a breezy work with piano. Each of these contains a really good tune or two. The Overture for a Masque is a light piece that fulfills its stated function. Another worthwhile... Read Less