Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
        The Chamber Music

Sonata No. 1 in E major for Violin and Piano (1917/19)
Cradle Song, Op. 9, No. 1 (1918)
Sonata No. 3 in E minor for Violin and Piano (1923)
Three Pieces (1917)
Sonata No. 2 in E flat major for Violin and Piano (1917)
Paul Barritt, violin
Catherine Edwards, piano
Recorded 1993 on Hyperion
Reissued February 2004
Helios CDH55139 [73:25]

Rhapsodic Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (1919)
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (1946)
Prelude for Harp (1915)
A Near-Minuet for Clarinet and Piano (1946)
Sonata No. 3 in E minor for Violin and Piano (1923) *
Mobius:
Robert Plane, clarinet
Alison Nicholls, harp
Sophia Rahman, piano
Philippe Honore, violin *
Lucy Gould, violin
Ashan Pillai, viola
Josephine Knight, cello
Recorded at St. Martin's Church, East Woodhay, Hampshire, 2002
Released May 2004
Naxos 8.557188 [66:05]

Composer: Herbert Howells is best known for his organ and choral works,
but he composed some excellent orchestral and chamber music that British
record labels have been mining over the past twenty years.  Howell's
music of the early 1900's is in the late-romantic vein with no reference
at all to modernist tendencies.  No so for the clarinet chamber works
of 1946 which reveal harmonic/rhythmic adventure, dissonance, percussiveness,
and jazz influences.  However, even in 1946, Howells is at all times
tonal and treating as home base the traditional forms of rhythm and aural
beauty.  It is a fusion of styles that Howells conveys expertly and with
conviction.

Recordings for Review: Both discs are in the budget category but of
premium value.

Programs: The programs differ in two respects.  First, Helios restricts
itself to works for violin and piano, while the Naxos takes on a greater
range of instrumental variety.  Second and most significant, Howell's
musical style remains constant on the Helios disc; Naxos offers us both
Howell's late-romantic and somewhat neo-classical environments.

Performance Differences: In listening to the two versions of the Sonata
No.  3, performance differences are not great.  The Hyperion has a fuller
and richer violin tone, the Naxos being rather sinewy.  I have a small
preference for pianist Catherine Edwards who brings sharper detail to
the music than Sophia Rahman.

Sound Quality: Top-rate for both discs.  Those who prefer a rich sound
would veer toward the Hyperion.  The Naxos sound, as customary, is
relatively dry and crisp.

Highlights:

Cradle Song - Intoxicating music that unfortunately lasts only five
minutes.  In the spirit of a bedside lullaby, the primary theme is
introduced with the violin playing the melody line and the piano engaging
in two-note drones.  When repeated, the dream-like world is strengthened
as the instruments' roles are reversed with the violin now offering
three-note drones.  It is a mesmerizing listening experience, and Howells
clearly has his pulse on the use of drones and their universal effect.

Sonata No.  3 in E minor - This is Howell's most rewarding large-scale
work for violin and piano.  In three movements, its opening theme is one
of his greatest melodies; the beauty and subtle pleadings are captivating.
The 3rd Movement is a masterpiece of motorized rhythm, brilliance, and
quiet introspection.  The music opens us to vistas only imagined, and
the return of the 1st Movement's opening theme concludes our journey on
an introspective note.

Rhapsodic Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet - British composers
have a reputation for expert use of wind instruments to evoke the English
countryside, and Howell displays his excellence in this work for clarinet
and strings.  He gives us the sweet and burnished rural picture replete
with a tremendous thunderstorm that will shake your secure feelings.
This one-movement composition is just as fine as the Sonata No.  3 in
E minor and a great opening work for the Naxos program.

Clarinet Sonata - In two movements, this work displays how well Howells
blends his romantic roots with prevalent 20th century styles including
jazz rhythms.  Howells offers a wealth of emotional content and is most
impressive when frequently altering tempo and dynamics while maintaining
architectural coherence and musical sweep.  I especially like the 2nd
Movement's hard-driving energy emphasized by the stern bass rhythms.

Conclusions: Great music, exceptional performances, and outstanding
sound.  Both discs are keepers.  I suppose that the Naxos might have a
slight edge with its greater variety of musical style and instrumentation,
but then one would be without two of the Violin Sonatas and the wonderful
Cradle Song.  I recommend acquiring both recordings and basking in a
compelling musical world.

Don Satz
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