Concertos for harpsichord, strings and continuo.
Malcolm Hamiliton: harpsichord (Wittmayer, 1962)
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra conducted by Gerard Schwartz
Released 1981 by Elektra/Asylum/Nonesuch Records, Los Angeles 79015
Recorded November, 1980 at Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, California using the 3M Digital Mastering System.
Production and Musical Supervision: Marc J. Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz
Engineering: Elite Recordings, Inc. and Roger Mayer, Elektra Sound Recorders
Mastered by Terry Dunavan, Elektra Sound Recorders
Art Direction: Ron Coro, Design: Denise Minobe
Front Cover Illustration: Richard Sparks
A&R: Ara Guzelimian
Production Supervisor: Keith Holzman
Thanks to Robert Tifft the webmaster of the European Revival Harpsichordists (http://jsebestyen.org/harpsichord/) for providing all the documentation and already cleaned up acoustic material to make this publication possible.
Side One: CONCERTO IN A MAJOR, Wq. 8 (19’00)
00:00 I. Allegro
05:02 II. Andante con sordini
13:47 Ill. Allegro
Side Two: CONCERTO IN D MAJOR, Wq. 18 (20’40)
18:51 I. Allegro
26:01 Il. Andante
32:57 Ill. Allegro di molto
MALCOLM HAMILTON studied with the late
Alice Ehlers at the University of Southern California
where he completed his DoctOrate, founded the Baroque
Society, and today is Professor of Harpsichord and
Piano. He ha, appeared with major North American
chamber orchestras under such distinguished conductors
as Sir John Barbirolli (who once referred to him as
… ‘doubtless Bach’s twenty-first child’), Neville Marriner,
Miltor::Katims, Gerhard Samuel, Akiro Endo,
and Gerard S~hwarz. His New York recital debut was
haifed by iheNew York Times’ Allen Hughes as «one of
the best this l.istener has ever heard» and a live performance
of these CP. E. Bach works prompted a Los Angeles
Times critic to report «the concertos plainly benefit
from the championship of Hami1ton-he gives them
the sparkle and snap that they require:’ This performance
features Mr. Hamilton’s own realizations of the
harpsichord part and the scores used in this recording
were provided from his personal collection.
GERARD SCHWARZ, Music Director of the Los
Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York’s Chamber
Symphony, and the Waterloo Festival, has been singled
out as one of the country’s most gifted young maestri.
He has been guest conductor of the San Francisco;
St. Louis and Houston Symphonies, the Kansas City
Philharmonic, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Orchestra,
and the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa.
He has participated twice in the International Bach Festival
in Madeira and for two years was Music Director of
the White Mountains Festival in New Hampshire.
Former co-principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic,
he is now committed to a full-time career on the
podium. Before taking over his post as Music Director
of the Y Chamber Symphony, Mr. Schwarz conducted
for the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, the Soho
Ensemble, and the 20th Century and Chamber Orchestra
of Montclair State College. He was Music DirectOr
of the Eliot Feld Dance Company from 1976 to 1980.
THE LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
was formed in 1968. Since that time, the Orchestra has
maintained a rigorous schedule of recording and performing,
including nation al and international tours
featuring many of the world’s most distinguished solois
ts and guest conductors. Gerard Schwarz joined the
Orchestra in the 1978-79 season as Music Director and
Principal Conductor