What's New in Ourtext - September 2011

'Dreams for viola and piano isn't just a treat to the ears, it is a treat to play'. So writes Heather K. Scott, reviewing the work in the November, 2011 issue of Strings Magazine. She goes on: 'Violists will be thankful for this accessible, beautiful and soaring homage to the deep and complex viola sound. Matthews presents violists a chance to really explore their instrument's sound, roam the scale, and flex some serious-sounding melodic muscle'.

The chamber works of George Onslow are starting to get the attention they deserve since Bill Simmons wrote about them in the Newsletter of the ACMP Chamber Music Network. They are, he said, "wonderfully melodic .... inventive, conversational, cheerful, dramatic, occasionally evocative, accessible, and great fun to play." He might have added that they show a particularly strong harmonic inventiveness. Well worth exploring.

Several of the old Merton Music facsimiles of Onslow quartets have now been replaced in the catalogue by new editions prepared to the uncompromising Ourtext standard.

Scott Slapin's popular Nocturne for viola duo is now also available in a version for string quartet. An excellent performance has been posted here, on YouTube. You will also find several of Scott's other works there, including a beautiful recording by Tanya Solomon - accompanied by no fewer than three Scott Slapins - of the evocative Postlude, now available from Ourtext for string orchestra.

Ourtext's small but growing collection of works by living composers is now conveniently listed on a separate Contemporary page.

Meanwhile huge progress continues to be made in upgrading the facsimile collection inherited from Merton Music. Five years' work has transformed the legibility and accuracy of much of this priceless collection. And we are grateful to stalwarts like Chris Darwin, Bill Simmons and Joe Wilcox who have enabled us to add bar numbers to some of the works, as well as others who have supplied corrections and reviews. Ourtext is our collective work.

That's the news for now. To go to the catalogue please click here.