Martyn Brabbins
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Tippett: Symphonies Nos 3, 4 & B flat
RecommendedRachel Nicholls (soprano)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
What the new accounts have are the virtues of Brabbins’s versions of Tippett’s First and Second…: a purposeful intentness, with care for dynamics and rhythmic precision…though with no lack of... —
Awards:
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2019
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The Times Records of the Year, 2019
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Gramophone Magazine, December 2019, Critics' Choice
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Elgar: Viola Concerto & Bloch: Suite For Viola and Orchestra
RecommendedTimothy Ridout (viola), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Ridout’s account of the opening movement is full of richly rhapsodic playing , although the viola suggests more of a wistful musing than the deeper, elegiac contemplation possible on the cello. —
Awards:
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Limelight Magazine, February 2023, Recording of the Month
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Presto Recording of the Week, 20th January 2023
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Gramophone Magazine, February 2023, Editor's Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2023
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International Classical Music Awards, 2024, Nominated - Concerto
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Gramophone Awards, 2023 Winners, Winner - Concerto
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Special offer. Howard Skempton: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
RecommendedChristopher Yates (viola), Roderick Williams (baritone)
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Martyn Brabbins
[Skempton] judges the balance between reiteration and variety to perfection, while the typical Skempton traits – clarity, deceptive simplicity and apparently familiar yet fresh and capricious... —
Awards:
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Presto Recording of the Week, 5th May 2017
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Gramophone Magazine, June 2017, Editor's Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2017
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Gramophone Awards, 2018, Shortlisted - Contemporary
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Michael Tippett: New Year
RecommendedRhian Lois (Jo Ann), Ross Ramgobin (Donny), Susan Bickley (Nan), Roland Wood (Merlin), Robert Murray (Pelegrin), Rachel Nicholls (Regan), Alan Oke (The Presenter)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
the tautness of the score more than makes up for the loose weave of the narrative. Fostered teenager Donny’s identity crisis is represented by syncopated lines and a guitar part influenced by... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, May 2025, Editor's Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Winner 2025, World Premiere Recording (Rediscovery)
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Gramophone Awards, 2025 Finalists, Opera
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Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony
Recommended& other works
Elizabeth Watts (soprano), Mary Bevan (soprano), Kitty Whately (mezzo-soprano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal College of Music Brass Band, Martyn Brabbins
Brabbins conducts the [Symphony] with a sense of purposeful directness, likeably enhanced by the expressive warmth of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s response. —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, November 2017, Editor's Choice
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Building A Library, March 2026, Top Choice
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Elgar: Caractacus
Elizabeth Llewellyn (Eigen), Elgan Llŷr Thomas (Orbin), Roland Wood (Caractacus), Christopher Purves (Arch-Druid, A Bard) & Alastair Miles (Claudius)
Huddersfield Choral Society, Orchestra of Opera North, Martyn Brabbins
Elgan Llŷr Thomas and Elizabeth Llewellyn are especially touching, while in the title role, baritone Roland Wood is on terrific form. —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, April 2019, Editor's Choice
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The Romantic Violin Concerto 2 - Stanford
Anthony Marwood (violin)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
This is a discovery of major importance. Hubert Parry (no mean critic) regarded Stanford's Violin Concerto as one of his finest works, yet it has been played rarely, if at all, since his death... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, February 2001, Disc of the Month
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This is a really good performance [of the Pastoral]. On one level Martyn Brabbins is superbly alert to the intricacies of the musical texture. After on hearing I got the score and listened again... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, January 2020, Editor's Choice
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Presto Recording of the Week, 10th January 2020
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BBC Music Magazine, March 2020, Orchestral Choice
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Tippett - The complete music for piano
Steven Osborne (piano)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
This splendid double album… assembles all Tippett's music for piano whether solo of with orchestra, in performances that impressively set new standards in these often challenging works. —
Awards:
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BBC Music Magazine Awards, 2009, Instrumental Finalist
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Gramophone Awards, 2008, Finalist - Concerto
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BBC Music Magazine, January 2008, Instrumental Choice
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Record Review, December 2007, Critics Disc of the Year
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Special offer. Ferneyhough: La Terre est un Homme
Olivia Robinson (soprano), Jennifer Adams-Barbaro (soprano) & Cherith Millburn-Fryer (alto)
ensemble recherche, BBC Symphony Orchestra, EXAUDI, Martyn Brabbins, James Weeks
In the latter pieces the BBC SO never shirk that lightness of touch which makes listening a pleasure, while Martyn Brabbins directs with calm authority and, above all, a belief in this music’s... —
Awards:
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Presto Editor's Choice, March 2018
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Gramophone Magazine, May 2018, Editor's Choice
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The Times Records of the Year, 2018
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The Guardian Classical Albums of the Year, 2018
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