THE MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY
Critical Acclaim: John Hebden: SIX CONCERTI FOR STRINGS, OP. 2
The MHS Review 376 Vol. 10, No. 16 • 1986
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David W. Moore, American Record Guide (July/August 1986)
he music is that of an English Geminiani (with whom Hebden studied) with Italian polish and English subject matter.
John Hebden (fl. 1740-1750) is an interesting addition to our knowledge of English baroque music. According to Ruzena Wood's liner notes, he published only these concertos and six flute sonatas and was a Yorkshire cellist. The music is that of an English Geminiani (with whom Hebden studied) with Italian polish and English subject matter. There is a little of the popular style of Boyce here and what sounds like a homage to Handel at the end of the last concerto.
Cantilena is a smooth and polished group of performers with a nice democratic attitude; each of the seven violinists gets to solo in at least one of the concertos. This disc originated on Chandos records in 1983 and contains nearly 56 minutes of entertaining music.