In many ways a commendable disc. Andrew Fuller and Michael Dussek's performances are accomplished, committed and exceptionally well prepared, and Dutton's excellent recorded sound beautifully complements the superb ambience of the Henry Wood Hall. Less stimulating, to these ears at least, is the repertoire.
William Yeates Hurlstone's Cello Sonata is certainly a well-crafted work and there is a good deal of attractive and memorable material, too, but there is also a distinct lack of individuality. Brahms and Schumann, with a hint of Elgar in the slow movement, are the primary influences and overall there seems little to justify anything more than an occasional outing.
The disc's greatest appeal will undoubtedly lie with enthusiasts of Parry's music. The Cello Sonata in A, a comparatively early work dating from roughly the time of his First Symphony, is a rather lofty piece containing much expansive and weighty writing. It certainly has some impressive moments, but is overtly Brahmsian in voice and, for all its nobility and poise, I am not convinced that it is a particularly strong example of Parry's output. Admirers, I am sure, though, will welcome its appearance on disc.
The Romance and Scherzo, Op 8, and the two character pieces Waldesstille and Schmetterling by Sir Hamilton Harty predate all his best known works and are scarcely recognisable as coming from the same composer as With the Wild Geese and the Irish Symphony. Nevertheless, they're effective and charming enough genre pieces that contrast well with the Hurlstone and Parry.'