Two late, great Vaughan Williams symphonies: with the 'Antartica' and No 9, Martyn Brabbins and his BBC forces complete a cycle enthusiastically acclaimed by Radio 3 Record Review as 'unmissable'.
Critical Acclaim
Brabbins [�] strives for a bold balance [Sinfonia antartica]: cohesion, yes, but with each musical 'scene' given the time and loving attention it needs. [�] The result is music which [�] creates vivid pictures but within the context of a compelling, ultimately moving macro-narrative. � BBC Music Magazine (Performance 5 STARS; Recording 5 STARS)
They are undeniably beautifully played and that virtuosity is signalled by the overwhelming first climax in the Prelude of the Seventh. [�] Brabbins drives this music hard; he clearly sees this as a musical quest for some slim shard of sunlight to penetrate the prevailing dark, brooding storm clouds. � MusicWeb International
both of these recordings are highly successful, with the sound for Sinfonia antartica a singular achievement � even now, recalling the opening of 'Landscape' sends a tingle down my spine. � MusicWeb International
Martyn Brabbins rounds off his Vaughan Williams symphony cycle for Hyperion with a most impressive account of the Ninth. His is a memorably lucid conception: textures are sifted with judicious skill [�], and there's an enviable sureness of purpose from first bar to last. � Gramophone
Vaughan Williams Symphonies Nos 6 & 8 (CDA68396): Even against formidable competition, Martyn Brabbins impresses handsomely.....it's all beautifully judged. - BBC Music Magazine
Symphony No 5 & Scenes from Pilgrim's Progress (CDA68325): The latest instalment in Martyn Brabbin's RVW symphonic cycle for Hyperion brings as dedicated, articulate and lucid a reading of the great and glorious Fifth as one could hope for. - Gramophone
