John Wilson’s third volume devoted to music by Eric Coates combines some of the composer’s large-scale works with miniatures and two marches. The Cinderella Phantasy frames the well-known fairy-tale from Cinderella’s perspective. The Three Men is to some extent autobiographical, as Coates explores his love of his native Nottinghamshire countryside, his love for London, and his love of the sea. The Three Elizabeths is a suite of portraits of three great figures in English history. Last Love is a wistful romance, while Sweet Seventeen was inspired by Coates’ love of dancing. Two marches complete the program: Television March was commissioned by the BBC for the resumption of television broadcasting in 1946, while The Dam Busters was used as the main title for Michael Anderson’s 1955 film.
Eric Coates: Orchestral Works, Volume 3 – BBC Philharmonic, John Wilson
