John Ireland's Piano Concerto had to wait 12 years for its premiere recording with Eileen Joyce, recently reissued in HMV's much-treasured two-record set devoted to ''The Art of Leslie Heward'' (EM290462-3, 8/85); Edmund Rubbra's Violin Concerto has had to wait just over twice that time, but its appearance at long last is all the more welcome. Written in 1959, its first performance was given the following year by Endre Wolf and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Rudolf Schwarz. But unlike the Ireland (which has always enjoyed a certain following, and was recorded by a couple of English pianists, Colin Horsley on HMV mono CLP1182, 8/58—nla and Eric Parkin on Lyrita SRCS36, 10/68), has never gained more than a foothold on the repertoire. It is a work that grows with each hearing, and has a seriousness and depth that make it an admirable foil to the Ireland. Its beauties, and in particular, those of the slow movement, will come as no surprise to those who know the Piano Concerto or the thoughtful Improvisation for violin and orchestra, both written three years before. It is a matter for shame that the first recording of this work should not have been made on these shores (the late lamented Ralph Holmes should have been invited to record it) and a matter for no small gratitude that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation should have enriched the catalogue now.
If the centrepiece of Rubbra's Concerto is the reflective slow movement, its companions are hardly less impressive. As always with this composer, the music unfolds with a seeming inevitability and naturalness, and a powerful sense of purpose. Carl Pini is the capable soloist and the Melbourne orchestra under David Measham play with a conviction that more than compensates for the unventilated recording, which makes textures sound thicker than in fact they are. One has only to compare Geoffrey Tozer's excellent account of the Ireland Piano Concerto with the rival version on Chandos and the greater transparency and detail of the recording tell. I would warmly endorse MEO's welcome to the LP and found Eric Parkin's performance marvellously refreshing and sparkling. Bryden Thompson gives a masterly account of the orchestral part and is no less impressive in Mai-Dun and the beautiful Legend for piano and orchestra.
Readers with a keener interest in John Ireland than Rubbra will inevitably gravitate to the Chandos issue, particularly in view of the excellence of the quality: the CD is in the best traditions of the house, wonderfully present and detailed. In the finale of the Concerto, Geoffrey Tozer is fractionally quicker than Eric Parkin, whose basic approach in this movement is closer to that of Colin Horsley. However, the superiority of the Chandos recording should not in any way deflect readers from the Unicorn for the rubbra concerto is no shallow virtuoso display-piece. It has a profundity that recalls the Seventh Symphony, and the Piano Concerto and is a most welcome addition to his representation on disc.'