A proper title for this fifth disc in Naxos' series of recordings of the complete orchestral works of English composer William Alwyn might be "The Lighter Alwyn." With the boisterous Elizabethan Dances, the lyrical The Innumerable Dance, the nostalgic Concerto for oboe, harp, and strings, the evanescent Aphrodite in Aulis, the enchanting symphonic prelude from The Magic Island, and the bumptious Festival March, this volume features Alwyn at his most engaging, most endearing, and most accessible. As in their earlier coupling of his First and Third symphonies,
David Lloyd-Jones and the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic present a portrait of Alwyn as a genial, genuine, and altogether agreeable composer whose skill as an orchestrator is matched by his talent as a tunesmith. While some might find his Elizabethan Dances a bit old-fashioned and his Festival March more than a bit bombastic, few will deny the charms of the beguiling The Innumerable Dance or the beauty of the Oboe and Harp Concerto, especially as played by oboist Jonathan Small. Although not perhaps for fans of the aggressive modernism of
Britten, Alwyn's conservative modernism will appeal to aficionados of Moeran and
Vaughan Williams, particularly in Naxos' rich, deep, and colorful sound.