Holbrooke: Violin Sonatas Nos 1 And No 2/ Horn Trio/ The Mezzo-Tints

Holbrooke was an inveterate re-user/ re-arranger/ re-namer of his own music and this has led to some confusion for those attempting to make a catalogue of his works. For example, as composer/pianist Holbrooke recorded his piece "Rangoon Rice Carriers" which later appeared, published as a solo piano piece, with the title "Javanese Pepper Dance" and (with necessary modifications) in an orchestral version as the first movement of his 2nd. Piano Concerto (L'Orient). More ridiculously, after he had jumped on the "Enigma" bandwagon and brought out his "Auld Lang Syne" variations with various friends and acquaintances pictured within he decided, at a later date, to change the dedication of some of the variations to more recently acquired friends while leaving the music untouched!The "Violin Concerto" recorded here is actually not the orchestral version of the piece but the version published for violin and piano as "Violin Sonata no.2" although, for reasons explained in the very thorough booklet notes by pianist Robert Stevenson, the last movement recorded here is that of the original concerto form of the movement. So it seems we have something of a hybrid here, but don't make the mistake in assuming that there is any orchestral music to be heard on this disc.The slow movement of the "Horn Trio" was re-arranged by the composer as his 4th. Ballade for piano "Maentwrog" and, in that form, proved to be a rather more tightly constructed piece than in its original form which tends to wander just a little, but, overall, the Horn Trio is a splendidly enjoyable work full of good tunes and excellently crafted. I attended a live performance of this piece some years ago when the composer's son, Gwydion Brooke, took good-humoured exception to the programme note writer's comparing this music to that of Dvorak, but the sunny affability of the work makes me think that the author of those notes wasn't all that wrong in his assessment.The aforementioned Gwydion Brooke certainly didn't view his father's achievements through rose-tinted spectacles and although he was aware that there was much music of originality, imagination and creative power in Holbrooke's output which deserved to be heard he acknowledged there was also a great deal that was weak, derivative and of the "pot-boiler" type. He definitely winnowed the music very thoroughly when he chose to publish selected scores in the "Blenheim Press" edition. I certainly never heard him praise the 1st. Violin Sonata (or Sonatina) which is recorded here and, to me, this is very slight music indeed, pleasant enough, I suppose, with echoes of Grieg in the first two movements and maybe even "Floradora" in the last but hardly worthy of repeated listening. Instead of this we might have had the short and imaginative "Fairyland" trio or some of lovely clarinet pieces that Holbrooke wrote for his son-in-law Reginald Kell.A short "Mezzo-tint" (L'extase) provides an attractive make-weight for this issue.The performances on this disc are sound and sympathetic enough but rarely, if ever, do they really take wing. The pianist often sounds just a little too reticent to me and there were times when I longed for a little more colour in his playing and for stronger support for the other players. I kept thinking that, given performances by really top-flight performers, this music might really make one sit up and take notice. Still, don't be put off! This might not be the best Holbrooke issue ever, but it's cetainly not the worst. It's worth a few quid of anybody's money to add the Trio and the "Concerto" (or Sonata) to their collection.