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Founder: Len Mullenger

Classical Editor in Chief: Rob Barnett

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Frank Lee SPRAGUE (b. 1958) Concerto in E flat major for Violin with Orchestra (2005?) (Tempo de Walse, Adagio, Allegro Assai) synthesised solo and orchestral (?) Wichita Falls Records Studios, North Hollywood, California, Feb 2006 WICHITA FALLS RECORDS WFR344 [30:42]

I should have been suspicious when, having opened the box, I found no background notes on the composer or the piece and no details of performer or orchestra or conductor. On the evidence of my ears both the solo part and the orchestra are synthesised. Despite advances in audio science the sound still has that harmonium-Hammond zing. I have no abiding prejudices against the process (witness my reviews of various Bortkiewicz discs) but I just wish Mr Sprague and his company had declared this. After all they are quite open about the CD playing for only just over half an hour. I have done a little research and find that Frank Lee Sprague is an American composer born in Wichita Falls, Texas on 8 January 1958. He is said to have more than one thousand works to his credit. His website notes refer to performances in Los Angeles by Ernest Ehrheardt, Karen Elaine, Robert Korda and Brian Leonard. They also say that he has spent his life studying, writing, and performing music his main instrument being the guitar. This is his newest recording. The Concerto for Violin with Orchestra can lay no claims to originality. Provided you are ready to accept the sound of a synthesised solo and orchestra then you will find a work whose gracious and I think rather hackneyed manners ape the violin concertos of Beethoven and Mozart. This is sometimes moderated by the sort of music you find in the more pallid pages of Sibelius’s theatre music. Despite the exalted claims made for this music by Mr Sprague’s publicists this is never stronger than pleasant and often sounds like a Beethoven facsimile but without Beethoven’s unruly originality and structured energy. If you would like to hear more Wichita Fall Records have produced two other Sprague discs: WFR336 Symphonic Poem and WFR342 Piano Quartet. Rob Barnett     Gerard Hoffnung CDs Advertising on Musicweb Donate and get a free CD   New Releases   Musicweb sells the following labels Acte Préalable (THE Polish label) Altus 10% off Arcodiva Atoll 10% off CDAccord CRD 10% off Hallé 10% off Hortus Lyrita 10% off Nimbus 10% off Nimbus Alliance Prima voce 10% off Red Priest 10% off Retrospective 10% off Saydisc 10% off Sheva £2 off Sheva Contemporary Sterling 10% off Toccata Classics Follow us on Twitter Subscribe to our free weekly review listing sample Sample: See what you will get Editorial Board MusicWeb International Founding Editor    Rob Barnett Seen & Heard Editor Emeritus    Bill Kenny Editor in Chief    Vacant MusicWeb Webmaster    David Barker MusicWeb Founder    Len Mullenger

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