John Turner, Manchester Chamber Ensemble

Prima Facie PFCD037/PFCD038

The recorder can seldom have been so lavishly celebrated as by these discs, individually cased but together in a stylish red box, and respectively entitled The Nostalgic Recorder and The Proud Recorder. Turner has done more (I'm sure) than anyone to assert the instrument's importance and develop its repertoire, and all 19 itmes, eachwith string quartet, were devised for him. There are substantial quintets by Standford, Karel Janovicky and David Beck, and charming short pieces by Anthony Gilbert, John McCabe, Peter Lawson and others. Turner's brilliance of tone and phrasing is everywhere evident.