Father & Son. Music by John & Anthony Ritchie. Bellbird CD
Tessa Petersen (violin) and John van Buskirk (piano) accompany soprano Rebecca Ryan in Anthony's seven-part song cycle Thoughts from an Inner Garden (2011), a setting of poems by Diana Neutze.
The cycle refers to a popular Chaconne in D minor by Bach, which is strongly revealed in the final song, Goodbye.
Petersen also plays with Justine Cormack in Anthony's well-known Four Duos for Two Violins (1988 - written when the composer was Mozart Fellow, with touches of Bartok) and with organist David Burchell in the more recent Variations for G. B. P.
That work was commissioned by Petersen and the initials are those of her father.
This performance was in St Joseph's Cathedral, using its organ, and shows fine acoustics in this recording, violin nicely balanced with the organ pipes.
John Ritchie's last composition, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, in three movements, was completed by Anthony due to his father's failing eyesight, and is now performed by clarinettist Stephen Cranefield with Tom McGrath on piano.
John Ritchie's Four Zhivago Songs (1977) has Ryan singing again with Tom McGrath on piano.
The lyrics are translations of poems by Boris Pasternak, author of the novel Dr Zhivago.
The work gets its first CD recording here.
The songs range from Hamlet, pondering on ''playing a part'' in theatre and in life, Intoxication and The Wind to Winter Night, the long Russian season depicted in evocative style.
Highlight: Violin and organ in bright display.
