HUMPHREY PROCTER-GREGG Chamber Music, Volume One
The public persona of the English composer Humphrey Procter-Gregg (1895–1980) was that of an academic and administrator (he founded the Music Department of Manchester University), and he was held in high regard as a writer and a translator of opera. But his own music reveals a startling degree of energy and passion, perhaps reflecting his fondness for the outdoors. These violin sonatas point to an enthusiasm for Delius, particularly in their more wistful passages; more surprisingly, they also show a stylistic proximity to the music of Fauré.
Andrew Long, violin
Ian Buckle, piano
Listen To This Recording:
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Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor (c. 1934)
- I Allegro
- II Andante sostenuto
- III Allegro brioso
- I Allegro moderato
- II Con moto e scherzando
- III Molto moderato – Andante quasi Lento – Allegro con brio
- I Allegro moderato
- II Andante
- III Andantino – Allegro giocoso
Violin Sonata No. 2 in C major (c. 1943)
Violin Sonata No. 4 in D major (1969)
FIRST RECORDINGS
MusicWeb International :
‘He is a subtle and deft player with a persuasively stylish approach to the repertoire and a fine tone. Ian Buckle is a concerto and ensemble player and clearly as attuned to the Francophile tendencies of some of Procter-Gregg’s writing as to its sturdier British qualities’
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
American Record Guide :
‘There is a lot of odd and mixed meter here, usually to the music’s benefit. When ProcterGregg launches a three-part fugue in 5/4 at the opening of No. 4’s finale, I defy anyone not to applaud. But there is much that’s straightforward too, and since the road is wide and the ditches distant, what’s not to like?’
—Thomson, American Record Guide