Album

Whether one loves the orchestral music of Hamilton Harty for its romance, for its color, for its lyricism, or simply for its unbridled Irish enthusiasm or whether one loathes Harty's music for its spectacle, for its display, for its sentimentality, or simply for its unbridled Irish enthusiasm, one is able to affirm that this collection of Harty's orchestral music performed by Bryden Thomson conducting the Ulster Orchestra on Chandos is precisely the sort of thing that record companies do best, that is, providing the opportunity for anyone who loves or loathes the music of Hamilton Harty to find out and decide for themselves.

Thomson is a conscientious advocate of Harty's music. He knows how to control Harty's excitement in fast movements and his excesses in slow movements. He knows how to tame Harty's extravagant colors and to cool his ardor at climaxes. He knows how to keep a tight grip on Harty's forms and structures and not give in to the charms of a passing folk song. But best of all, Thomson makes the best case for Harty's ability as a composer. Thomson finds the charm and humor in A Comedy Overture, the sensuality and the melancholy in Ode to a Nightingale, the cheer and coherence in An Irish Symphony, and the wit and the wisdom in Variations on a Dublin Air. With the virtuosity of soprano Heather Harper, violinist Ralph Holmes, and pianist Malcolm Binns and the dedication of the Ulster Orchestra, Thomson says everything that can be said and does everything that can be done with the orchestral music of Hamilton Harty. Chandos' remastered early digital sound is an improvement over the hard and glassy originals, but the recordings still lack depth and immediacy.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 3
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer Violin Concerto in D- Work Recorded 1979 33:07 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor, Ralph Holmes Violin
1	1.Allegro deciso	12:26			$1.99
2	2.Molto lento	11:07			$1.99
3	3.Allegro con brio	9:34			$1.49
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer Piano Concerto in B- Work Recorded 1983 37:36 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor, Malcolm Binns Piano
4	1.Allegro risoluto	14:07			$2.49
5	2.Tranquillo e calmo	9:44			$1.49
6	3.Con brio e vivace	13:45			$2.49
CD 2 of 3
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer Children of Lir for soprano & orchestra Work Recorded 1981 31:48 Heather Harper Soprano, Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor
1	Introduction -	4:34			$0.99
2	Allegro brioso ed animato -	4:47			$0.99
3	The swan-children -	2:31			$0.99
4	Calm seas and blue skies -	2:00			$0.99
5	Approach of evening -	6:07			$0.99
6	Allegro brio ed animato -	6:06			$0.99
7	Transformation, baptism and death	5:43			$0.99
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer Variations on a Dublin Air for violin & orchestra Work Recorded 1979 16:19 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor, Ralph Holmes Violin
8	Introduction and Theme -	3:45			$0.99
9	Variation I -	1:01			$0.99
10	Variation II -	1:03			$0.99
11	Variation III -	2:11			$0.99
12	Variation IV -	0:39			$0.99
13	Variation V -	1:55			$0.99
14	Variation VI -	2:01			$0.99
15	Variation VII -	3:44			$0.99
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) Work Recorded 1979 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor, Pan Hon Lee Violin
16	Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)	5:27			$0.99
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer Ode to a Nightingale for soprano & orchestra Work Recorded 1981 22:28 Heather Harper Soprano, Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor
17	[Orchestral introduction] -	1:42			$0.99
18	'My heart aches' -	2:36			$0.99
19	'O, for a draught of vintage!' -	2:02			$0.99
20	'...and quite forget' -	4:03			$0.99
21	'Already with thee!' -	4:20			$0.99
22	'Darking I listen' -	4:06			$0.99
23	'Forlorn!' -	0:54			$0.99
24	'Adieu! adieu!'	2:45			$0.99
CD 3 of 3
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer A Comedy Overture, for orchestra Work Recorded 1980 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor
1	A Comedy Overture, for orchestra	14:12			$2.49
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer An Irish Symphony Work Recorded 1980 33:52 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor
2	1.On the Shores of Lough Neagh. Allegro molto	13:13			$2.49
3	2.The Fair Day. Vivace ma non troppo presto	3:08			$0.99
4	3.In the Antrim Hills. Lento ma non troppo	7:21			$1.49
5	4.The Twelfth of July. Con molto brio	10:10			$1.99
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer In Ireland, fantasy for flute, harp & orchestra Work Recorded 1983 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor, Colin Fleming Flute, Denise Kelly Harp
6	In Ireland, fantasy for flute, harp & orchestra	9:13			$1.49
Sir Hamilton Harty Composer With the Wild Geese for orchestra Work Recorded 1983 20:12 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Bryden Thomson Conductor
7	Introduction -	1:45			$0.99
8	Soldiers' life abroad -	6:58			$0.99
9	The night before the battle -	4:22			$0.99
10	Battle -	4:51			$0.99
11	Return home	2:16			$0.99