Christopher Gunning - Violin concerto, Cello concerto

The Guardian 60

RPO/Gunning
A warm celebration of the Brecon Beacons and a dark meditation on ageing and loss are added to the composer’s impressive canon

You could never accuse Christopher Gunning of low output: nine symphonies, chamber music, award-winning film and TV scores and concerti for piano, flute, oboe, clarinet and saxophone, now joined by works for violin and cello. Harriet Mackenzie’s expressive playing makes Gunning’s sinuous solo line sing like a bird in his unashamedly lyrical celebration of the landscape in the Brecon Beacons. It’s instantly accessible, warmly melodic yet never trite or cloying (the first movement is a gem, built around a single chord). The cello concerto is grittier, exploring dark themes of ageing and loss. Richard Harwood brings a stately gravity to the sombre nature of the work but Gunning can’t resist repeated harp glissandi that cheapen the serious intent of the music.