VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS

13/01/2015
Howard Smith
Music & Vision Daily (UK)

My interest in this disc was initially galvanized by two sleeve note essays. The first, on little known composers Hans Gál and Ernst Krenek (1900-1991), was written by Barry ('Edna Everage') Humphries: a Melba Recordings artistic benefactor. Secondly cellist Steven Isserlis (born 1958) had written a personal recollection of the ninety-six-year-old Hans Gál (1890-1987). ...

For the present duo recording Melba features violist Roger Benedict, an internationally active conductor, soloist, orchestral player, chamber musician and teacher. Currently Benedict is section leader of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

From the pleasingly burnished opening Adagio, the Opus 101 Sonata unfolds with fluent inventiveness. Indeed all three movements are typical of Gál's unfailing optimism. ...

Benedict and Young were lavishly praised for their Melba CD of music by Jongen and Kœchlin. Voices in the Wilderness matches the same remarkable high standards.

Roger Benedict plays a Carlo Antonio Testore (1687-1765) viola made in Milan in 1753.