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Reviews
Organist's Review February 2001
Romance For Violin & Organ Rachel & Rupert Gough-Guild 7191-75 minutesHere is a delightful disc, with a wide variety of repertoire for violin and organ duo. The title might suggest the more romantic end of the scale in choice of works; whilst favourites such as Massenet's Méditation from Thaïs and Rachmaninov Vocalise are there, there is also plenty of lesser known music. The most substantial work is the Fantasy on a chorale (Es ist genug) written in 1979 by Kenneth Leighton. Immediately reminiscent of Berg's Violin Concerto because of the thematic material, this is an immense work, which is given a highly committed performance by Rachel and Rupert Gough. The playing from both is very fine throughout, with a warmth of sound from the violin, and some considerable virtuosity on display in Pavane by the contemporary Swiss composer Carl Rütti; here, as in all the works, the balance between the instruments is very well handled, and the incisiveness of the rhythm in the concluding section is well projected. There is plenty of contrast in the programme; besides the more substantial works there are the miniatures such as the short Romanze by Max Reger, and the Cinq Pièces Op 180 of Jean Langlais of 1954. These latter were originally songs for soprano and organ, which the composer later transcribed for flute or violin and organ, a version he is said to have preferred. All in all this is a disc to be highly recommended, both for the splendid playing and for the recorded sound quality, enhanced by the warm acoustic of Christchurch Priory.