George Butterworth; Gustav Holst - Orchestral Works (Andrew Manze)

Information

Composer: George Butterworth; Gustav Holst

• Butterworth - A Shropshire Lad "Rhapsody for Full Orchestra"
• Butterworth - The Banks of Green Willow "Idyll"
• Butterworth - Two English Idylls
• Holst - Egdon Heath, Op. 47 "A Homage to Thomas Hardy"
• Holst - Two Songs without Words, Op. 22
• Holst - A Fugal Concerto, Op. 40, No. 2
• Holst - St Paul’s Suite, Op. 29, No. 2

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Andrew Manze, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: ONYX Classics

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George Butterworth, a gifted composer lost in World War I, left a small but lasting output, notably the orchestral rhapsody A Shropshire Lad, inspired by A.E. Housman, evoking the English countryside and the futility of war. A close friend of Vaughan Williams, he was also a dancer and collector of Sussex folk songs. Gustav Holst, another friend of RVW, similarly drew on folk traditions, as in his St Paul’s Suite and Songs without Words. His Egdon Heath was inspired by a night walk with Thomas Hardy. This recording, with Andrew Manze and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, extends their acclaimed RVW series.

Andrew Manze (b. 1965) is acclaimed as one of today’s most inspiring conductors, known for his scholarship, energy, and warmth. Chief Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie since 2014 (contract extended to 2023), he also became Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in 2018/19, with whom he recorded Vaughan Williams’s complete symphonies. His award-winning Pentatone recordings with the NDR focus on Mendelssohn and Mozart. In demand worldwide, he has conducted leading orchestras including the LA Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Concertgebouw, and Bavarian Radio Symphony. Formerly Artistic Director of the English Concert, he first gained prominence as a baroque violinist and remains active as a teacher, editor, and broadcaster.

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