Nicholas Williams, music critic, the Independent

Britten/Walton
Britten: Cello Symphony
Walton: Cello Concerto
Julian Lloyd Webber (cello); Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Neville Marriner Philips 454 442-2 66:35 mins

The coupling seems obvious, yet is rarely found in the gramophone archives: the Britten Cello Symphony and Walton Cello Concerto are complementary opposites. The link on this disc is Julian Lloyd Webber's distinctive sound which finds resonant depth in both. Lloyd Webber discovers something new in the Walton - or so it seems, such is his artistry. In the Britten, superb orchestral playing reveals lines and colours undiscovered by previous recordings. (Reviewed October 1997)