The Music of Roger Sacheverell Coke
Little is known about Derbyshire pianist and composer R.S. Coke though he was clearly valued during his lifetime and there is an entry about him in Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Artists who admired his work include Eugene Goossens who conducted Coke's opera "The Cenci", Sir Henry Wood who conducted the composer's first symphony (broadcast on the BBC) and the Brosa Quartet who performed his chamber music. He was a friend of both Moiseiwitsch and Rachmaninov and dedicated his 2nd Symphony to Rachmaninov with his permission. Watch the trailer here.
…the more I explored this music and became familiar with the composer’s unique musical language, the more I became keen to present these lost treasures to the world. I approached Siva Oke of SOMM Recordings, with whom I had recorded four discs previously and, sharing my enthusiasm for uncovering gems, she agreed to collaborate with me on this project and we made our recording in August 2014.
