Album

There are too few recordings of John Ireland's chamber music, but, then, there are also too few recordings of John Ireland's music in any other genre. Considering the skill, passion, breadth, and depth of the English modernist's achievement, this is a shame. Fortunately for Ireland, the recordings of his music that do get released are consistently first rate. The standard recordings of his chamber music in the stereo age were released on Lyrita with violinist Yfrah Neaman, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, and pianist Eric Parkin turning in performances that were sympathetic, virtuosic, and completely persuasive. The standard recordings in the digital age were released by Chandos with violinist Lydia Mordkovitch, cellist Karine Georgian, and pianist Ian Brown, and those recordings are repackaged here as a two-disc set.

The biggest difference between the two collections isn't the repertoire: both Lyrita and Chandos include the two violin sonatas and the three piano trios as well as the cello sonata and the Fantasy Sonata for clarinet and piano, though Lyrita also includes the Sextet for clarinet, horn, and string quartet while the Chandos includes The Holy Boy, Ireland's most popular piece, in an arrangement for cello and piano. Nor is the biggest difference the performances. Though Lyrita's performers are clearly dedicated to doing their best for the music, Chandos' performers prove just as dedicated. But rather than place Ireland's music in the context of English modernism as their predecessors had, it is placed in the context of European modernism, giving the music more snap and bite. Nor is the biggest difference the sound. Chandos' early digital sound is cool, clear, and detailed, but Lyrita's stereo sound is just as clear, just as detailed, and perhaps even more real.

No, the biggest difference is a matter of arithmetic: Lyrita's collection is issued on three discs while Chandos' is on two. Though hardcore Ireland fans will want both sets, more casual listeners might prefer the more compact Chandos.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
John Ireland Composer Violin Sonata No.1 in D- Work Recorded 1993 30:42 Lydia Mordkovitch Violin, Ian Brown Piano
1	1.Allegro leggiadro	13:16			$2.49
2	2.Romance: in tempo sostenuto quasi adagio	11:16			$1.99
3	3.Rondo: Allegro sciolto assai	6:10			$0.99
John Ireland Composer Violin Sonata No.2 in A- Work Recorded 1993 29:19 Lydia Mordkovitch Violin, Ian Brown Piano
4	1.Allegro	10:25			$1.99
5	2.Poco lento quasi adagio	11:52			$1.99
6	3.In tempo moderato	7:02			$1.49
John Ireland Composer Fantasy-Sonata, for clarinet & piano in Eb Work Recorded 1982-1983 Gervase de Peyer Clarinet, Gwenneth Pryor Piano
7	Fantasy-Sonata, for clarinet & piano in Eb	12:53			$1.99
CD 2 of 2
John Ireland Composer Cello Sonata in G- Work Recorded 1993 20:51 Ian Brown Piano, Karine Georgian Cello
1	1.Moderato e sostenuto	9:28			$1.49
2	2.Poco largamente	6:23			$0.99
3	3.Con moto e marcato	5:00			$0.99
John Ireland Composer The Holy Boy, version for cello & piano Work Recorded 1993 Ian Brown Piano, Karine Georgian Cello
4	The Holy Boy, version for cello & piano	2:34			$0.99
John Ireland Composer Phantasie, for piano trio in A- Work Recorded 1993 Lydia Mordkovitch Violin, Ian Brown Piano, Karine Georgian Cello
5	Phantasie, for piano trio in A-	11:07			$1.99
John Ireland Composer Trio No.2 (Piano Trio) in E Work Recorded 1993 Lydia Mordkovitch Violin, Ian Brown Piano, Karine Georgian Cello
6	Trio No.2 (Piano Trio) in E	13:21			$2.49
John Ireland Composer Trio No.3 (Piano Trio) in E- Work Recorded 1993 25:09 Lydia Mordkovitch Violin, Ian Brown Piano, Karine Georgian Cello
7	1.Allegro moderato	8:19			$1.49
8	2.Scherzo. Vivace	3:54			$0.99
9	3.Andante cantabile - Pochissimo più moto - Quasi tempo	8:22			$1.49
10	4.Finale. Con moto	4:34			$0.99