Alan Rawsthorne (1905–1971) was a significant composer of his generation who developed a very personal and unmistakable harmonic language together with a markedly constructive approach to form. Our disc presents the complete music by Rawsthorne for violin and piano, including the Concertante (the first work of his to be published, in 1937) and the masterly Sonata of 1958. Also included on the disc are the World Première recordings of two early, unpublished sonatas, composed for the violinist Jessie Hinchliffe, whom Rawsthorne married in 1934; whilst containing much beautiful and characteristically original music, the second movement of the earlier sonata displays an unbridled, youthful exuberance with even a hint of jazz.

Also featured on the disc, and composed likewise for Jessie Hinchliffe at about the same time as the sonatas, is Pierrette – a delightful character piece, in the later orchestrated version of which it was included in the score for Uncle Silas. Finally, a significant composition of Rawsthorne’s early maturity is the Theme and Variations for Two Violins, written in 1937, the first performance of which received critical acclaim important in establishing the composer’s career. Bringing early, previously unrecorded works together with those of Rawsthorne’s established repertoire makes this an important and fascinating release.