Remembering Tippett: Recordings from the 1940s

To mark the centenary of Tippett's birth in 2005, this disc presents for the first time on CD three premiere recordings of his music from the 1940s: the Concerto for Double String Orchestra (recorded 1943) conducted by Walter Goehr; the Fantasy Sonata for Piano, performed in 1941 by Phyllis Sellick; and the String Quartet No.2, recorded in 1947 by the Zorian Quartet. Also included is the first recording of Tallis's 40-part motet Spem in alium, recorded in 1948 with Tippett himself conducting the choir of Morley College, London.

"The anthology of premiere recordings ... is truly historic. Walter Goehr's 1943 recording of the Double Concerto - co-produced by Benjamin Britten while Tippett was in prison as a conscientious objector - seems to use only a small number of players, but has a gripping intensity. ... NMC's presentation of these discs is impeccable; Anthony Burton's notes add up to a substantial and fascinating essay on early Tippett recordings."
BBC Music Magazine