The English tenor James Gilchrist has released his second album on Linn Records. As expected, it is a Hybrid Multichannel SACD.

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Translated to English 11. November 2013

Although the work On Wenlock Edge by Ralph Vaughan Williams is what is profiled in SACD tilltel, the compositions of the four composers here. And symptomatic enough, only English komponoster. English music is a special interest of James Gilchrist, something his almost 20-disc discography partially testify. English music from the 1900s and Baroque recordings are almost totally dominant, stressed that his previous recording on Linn Records were songs by Gerald Finzi. In addition, a disc I have not heard, unlike Gilchrist's Finzi-interpretation of Intimitations of Immortality on Naxos.

Although Vaughan Williams had strong ties to Ravel, the work On Wenlock Edge has a very clear English character. And perhaps it is in the second part From far, from eve and morning that Gilchrist is shown his strength at the very best, a piece that has dynamics in several senses of the word. Silky smooth, superseded by drama almost in the next breath. Or maybe I appreciate the little subtle mood of Bredon Hill equally much. My subjective experience is that this piece might not have as clear English character as the others in the work, but that James Gichrist`s performance ensures the national characterized in this piece, where I occasionally imagine to hear the musical shadows from Arvo Pärt, although the time axis more indicates the opposite direction.

I believe that my absolute favorite on this SACD must be The Curlew, written by Peter Warlock. This is probably the strongest piece of continental character of all pieces on this disc, without knowing if this is the characteristic of the composer in general. A symphonic poem with a purely instrumental opening of several minutes, before Gilchrist almost appears unexpected with an almost magical vocal stanza. And while the beautiful elegiac Sonnet by Arthur Bliss also have one for me less clear English profile, I think that Ivor Gurney's seven songs appear to be the most British in this release, which draws sharp images of gentlemen and hills.

On Wenlock Edge is a Hybrid Multichannel SACD, something we're used to expect from this label. And although it is now (2007) possible to download DRM-free versions of Linn Records on their websites in everything from MP3 to high resolution "Studio Master", is the Multichannel SACD the primar goal for me. It's very exciting to follow the multichannel recordings from Linn Records, where the approach to multi-channel mix is very different, depending on the musical material of the recording. My previous mention of a recording from this company was by Arthur Pizarro - his interpretations of Ravel's piano music. This was a recording where the reverb was very strongly dominant, perhaps the most ambient recordings of all I've heard from Linn Records. James Gilchrist's On Wenlock Edge is on the diametrically opposite end of this axis, without characterizing that as more wrong or right. The thing is that I atract both parts as appropriate in relation to the musical material. On Wenlock Edge fits undeniable this almost dry, but very precise rendering, where it is focused on a great breadth and depth in the scene image more than the extensive use of the surrond-channels.