Alexander Voormolen’s two Baron Hop suites call to mind a sort of Dutch cross between Prokofiev in his “Classical Symphony” mode, and Poulenc. There’s the same use of archaic forms (minuet, rondo, sarabande, air), the same parodistic wit, the same “wrong note” tunefulness, and also a wholly personal, refined sense of orchestral color. This music is extremely popular in Holland, and no wonder! The Concerto for Two Oboes is equally delightful: full of fun and written with incredible skill for the soloists. I dare anyone to listen to the finale and not come away humming its slightly sinister, witty main theme. The Nocturne for Orchestra subtitled “Eline” resembles Delius at his most evocatively chromatic, its mysterious decadence highlighted by an indulgent excess of celesta and harp. No less a figure than the famous scholar D.F. Tovey wrote one of his famous program notes about Baron Hop, and this is clearly music that should never have sunk into oblivion. Chandos has performed one of its most thoroughly enjoyable rescue missions by making this marvelous stuff available once again in absolutely brilliant performances and sound. Don’t miss out on a really good time.
