Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
The Planets

Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34

Michael Tippett (1905-1998)
Concerto for Orchestra

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 "Enigma"
 

This volume assembles masterpieces of British composers of the 20th century.

Included is Benjamin Britten's 'Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra' which is a superb piece, revealing all the capacities a symphony orchestra can offer. One of the popular works by the Englishman who started composing at the age of five! The recording presented here makes its first entry on CD! One of the earlier works by Vaughan Williams is the Tallis Fantasy for string orchestra. This work shows that glowing euphony could still be managed in an individual way with the help of music from the renaissance, in this case his 16th-century fellow countryman Thomas Tallis.

Undoubtedly the most famous piece presented in this compilation are the Enigma Variations by Elgar. Each Variation represents a musical portrait of one of Elgar's friends including the breathtaking variation called 'Nimrod', one of the most passionate miniatures ever written.

A complete recording of Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' is yet another treat on this compilation and still stands as one of the major British works of this century. This astrological journey guides us through short symphonic poems, each representing the characteristics of the planets in our solar system.

Delius' 'On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring' is characteristic of the English master of musical nature tone-painting. Sit back, and you'll discover this magical moment in Spring too.

Tippett's Concerto for Orchestra, composed in the early 1960s, features rapturous lyricism together with exultant dances.

Though all the works included here date either from just before or from the middle of the 20th century, even a first-time listener would have no difficulty in savouring their rich, colourful sonorities.

This compilation is an absolute bargain considering that many works represented here are normally only available on a single CD, but in this case you'll get six major British works of the 20th century on two CDs for the price of one CD only. These recordings feature some of the world's leading orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and world-famous conductors Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin Davis and Sir Neville Marriner.