• One of a kind, the composer Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-83) eludes fashion for several reasons. So many aspects of her life now look dated: she was a British aristocrat (daughter of the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens) who moved in elite social circles, cared little about the opinions of others, embraced European modernism ahead of her time, smoked and drank heavily and had a reputation for being fierce musically, and verbally prickly to lesser mortals. Her Piano Works Volume 3 (Resonus), performed by Martin Jones, includes short works dating back to 1944, the oddly touching Holiday Diary (1949) – tiny pieces with narrated text – as well as three sets of Bagatelles. Having regarded her music as quite resistible in the past, I found this album engaging, serious, stimulating.
Also highly recommended: La Muse Oubliée II (IBS Classical), in which Antonio Oyarzábal continues his travels through little-known repertoire by women, an example to all his fellow pianists.
• The sparkling string sextet Souvenir de Florence, Op 70 takes its name from the Italian city in which Tchaikovsky first worked on this enduringly popular composition. Pairing it with Erich Korngold’s Sextet, Op 10 (Hyperion), the Nash Ensemble play each work – both written for the standard sextet combination of two violins, two violas and two cellos – with restless verve and panache. Korngold shares Tchaikovsky’s melodic gift but his youthful work, dating from 1914 and influenced by Schoenberg, is sharp-edged and harmonically modernist in comparison.
The Nash make a compelling case for both. To call this ensemble venerable is to reflect on the group’s standing over 60 years, since its foundation in 1964 (by Amelia Freedman). The reason to listen to these players now is not for old time’s sake but for the vigour and precision they show in the wide repertoire they tackle, including this.
• Bach’s St John Passion: live from Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, marking the 300th anniversary of the work, performed by Manchester Chamber Choir and the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Nicholas Kraemer. Friday, 2pm, Radio 3/BBC Sounds.
