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Gramophone 1962

Guitar Concerti - Fernandez, Malcolm

There certainly is no shortage of Vivaldi Guitar Concerto recordings, but this one by Eduardo Fernandez ranks high on the list. It was recorded in London's Henry Wood Hall, and has excellent detail plus a fine ambience. The Giuliani Concerto is recorded in a version originally for guitar and string quartet. Sometimes the full string section plays, at other times just the first chairs. It receives a very elegant performance. Vivaldi's RV 93 may be the most controversial performance here. The slow movement features lots of ornamentation, which I feel is very skillfully done and adds to the impact of the piece. The viola d'amore player in the next concerto is excellent, and he and Fernandez play off of each other very elegantly. As for the Paganini Sonata, it was recorded some years later in the same venue and features elegant, stylish playing. This is one of the better baroque guitar and orchestra recordings to come my way in recent years. Special mention must be made of George Malcolm's excellent leadership in the Vivaldi Concertos, accompanying with understanding and relish, without ever overpowering his soloist. Amazon

Oxford Mail 1977

The coupling of Beethoven's Piano Trios, Op. 1 Nos. 1 and 3, played very musically by the George Malcolm Trio is not otherwise available on tape and the sound is natural and well balanced, although a slightly higher level would have added the last degree of presence. Gramophone

??? 1977

EMG 1977

Western Daily Press 1977

Gramophone 1963

Gramophone 1954

Gramophone Awards 2012

Gramophone 1977

As with the Serenade, a later version of this miniature Mass (sung by the Choir of Saint John’s College, Cambridge) is supplemented by an earlier recording. In this case, only five years separate the two. The piece was written for Westminster Cathedral Choir (with its decidedly un-Anglican choristers) and recorded in 1959 under George Malcolm. George Guest’s later account lacks character and is even ponderous in places, so stick with the original. A dim recording is neither here nor there when the voices shine so brightly. Sinfini Music

Gramophone 2008

I suspect that the tempestuous reputation we attribute to Victoria in particular spans from several earlier and influential recordings, chiefly, Westminster Cathedral's hair-raising 1960 recording of the Responsories for Tebebrae (also from 'Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae') directed by George Malcolm. A long tradition of singing Victoria at Westminster Cathedral still thrives, and shades of their steely continental tone have continued to dictate a gutsy style that many others have tried to copy. The Tallis Scholars, however, are one of the few groups to remain pretty much immune from the temptation to make such music more beefy than the Italian or Flemmish schools, and I for one am grateful for the contrast they bring to this repertoire.
(Ed Breen)

Gramophone 1966

Gramophone 1995