Elgar-Britten-Warlock-Jenkins: Very British

Previous Sony Classical recordings by Ensemble Metamorphosen Berlin under Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt received excellent reviews: "The CD 'Inspiration' is carried by the warm and intimate sound of the strings - a sound that can expand and narrow and yet remains a spectrum. Metamorphoses Berlin will be like a single great instrument. " (RBB Kulturradio) "Enthusiasm ... 150% identification ... consistent and uncompromising ... tonal beauty and sound culture ... contrasts in this music are seldom realized in such detail." (For "Serenade", Fonoforum)

The new recording is entirely dedicated to British music and offers a great selection of works by famous but also lesser-known composers: works by Edward Elgar (1857-1934), Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), Peter Warlock (1894- 1930) and Karl Jenkins (* 1944). The album opens with the earliest masterpiece, the famous Serenade in E minor for string orchestra by Edward Elgar (1857-1934), one of the greatest British composers and leading European composers of his generation. The hallmarks of Elgar's compositions also include flattering character pieces that often share elements of English folk music. For this recording, a selection of these pieces, which were originally written for violin, were rearranged for the cello by Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt and presented as world premiere recordings: Romance, Salut d'amour, Mot d'amour, Bizarrerie, Idylle, Rosemary, Carissima, Adieu and La Capricieuse can to a certain extent be viewed as "short stories" whose contents, associations and emotions are immediately apparent. Benjamin Britten is a central figure in 20th century British music. Metamorphosen Berlin has recorded its "Simple Symphony"; This symphony is one of the few purely orchestral works within Britten's extensive oeuvre and is based on eight themes from his childhood that were particularly close to the composer's heart. The album also features Peter Warlock's "Capriol Suite", which is based on six dances from the Renaissance. The six miniatures describe historical village scenes in a highly effective and virtuoso way. The last track on the album is the famous first movement of "Palladio" by Karl Jenkins, a homage to the Italian Renaissance architect of the same name: Andrea Palladio. "I am thrilled that Metamorphosen Berlin has recorded such a stunning version of my piece Palladio," said Karl Jenkins himself about this recording.