Déjà Review: this review was first published in April 2005 and the recording is still available.
George Frederick McKay (1899-1970)
Concerto for Violin and orchestra (1940)
Suite on Sixteenth Century Hymn Tunes (1962)
Sinfonietta No. 4 (1942)
Song Over Great Plains (1953)
Brian Reagin (violin)
National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine/John McLaughlin Williams.
rec. 2003, Large Concert Studio of the National Radio Company of Ukraine, Kiev
Naxos 8.559225 [78]
We have here another in Naxos’s American Music Series. When it first started, it was difficult at the time to see what could be recorded after Schuman, Copland, Harris and the like, but Naxos should be extremely proud of this very extensive series. They have turned up a wealth of music, not many of them masterpieces but of extreme interest to music lovers looking for something a little out of the ordinary. They are not skimping on artists either so one can be sure of at least a decent performance at a rock bottom price.
George Frederick McKay was a composer domiciled in the U.S. Northwest, and Naxos have already released a couple of discs of his music, one of them also conducted by John McLaughlin Williams, albeit with a different orchestra. The composer is one of the few that received all of his musical education in the U.S., unlike many of his colleagues who usually had a spell in France, Germany or the Scandinavian countries. He attended University of Washington, Seattle and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. After graduating in 1923, he then had teaching posts in North Carolina, South Dakota and Missouri. His final position was as Professor of Music at Washington State University, Seattle. He had an extremely successful career in music, including composing, teaching and leading in the appreciation of American Music. His time of maximum fame was in the 1930s and 1940s.
It is therefore surprising how relatively little he is remembered. I hope that Naxos’s efforts will go some way towards rectifying this situation. His most substantial work on this disc is his Violin Concerto which he entered in the Heifetz Competition in 1940. He thought it had a good chance of winning the competition, but in the event, it received only an honourable mention, although having been praised by Heifetz himself. The reason for this lack of success was probably influenced by the composer being thought of as an artist working away from the main musical centres, being at the time resident in Seattle, not known as a high quality musical centre.
The Concerto was apparently modelled upon the Max Bruch First Violin Concerto in G minor, but little of this influence is readily apparent. Like many other traditional American orchestral works, it is beautifully crafted, and well orchestrated. It appears to be well written for the soloist, but like other similar works, its lyrical inspiration can at times appear limited.
The other works on this disc are similarly attractive. Particular mention needs to be made of the beautiful Meditation of the Suite, and the Moderato pastorale of the Sinfonietta. These two movements alone make the disc well worth purchasing.
At the beginning of this American Series, some of the ensembles chosen for the work did not seem to be comfortable with the American cross-rhythms, but the Ukraine orchestra has done enough of this work now to sound totally idiomatic under Williams’ sure leadership. The performances of all of these works are excellent and I do urge you to try them.
I can thoroughly recommend this issue to the collector, but do not be mislead – this is not American music as we know of it today. Well done Naxos – another first class issue well played, performed and recorded by all concerned. Add to this exemplary notes on the music, the excellent soloist and conductor and all at a rock bottom price.
John Phillips
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