Classical Net

The Internet's Premier Classical Music Source

Related Links

Recommended Links

Give the Composers Timeline Poster



Site News

What's New for
Winter 2018/2019?

Site Search

Follow us on
Facebook    Twitter

Affiliates

In association with
Amazon
Amazon UKAmazon GermanyAmazon CanadaAmazon FranceAmazon Japan

ArkivMusic
CD Universe

JPC
ArkivMusic

Sheet Music Plus Featured Sale

CD Review

British Piano Sonatas

  • John White:
  • Sonata for Piano #1 (1956)
  • Sonata for Piano #5 (1959)
  • Sonata for Piano #4 (1959)
  • Sonata for Piano #9 (1960)
  • Alun Hoddinott: *
  • Sonata for Piano #1 Op. 17 (1959)
  • Sonata for Piano #2 Op. 27 (1962)
  • Nocturne #1 Op. 9 (1956)
  • Nocturne #2 Op. 16 #1 (1959)
  • Elegy Op. 18 #3 (1959)
Colin Kingsley, piano
* Valerie Tryon, piano
Lyrita REAM2108 2CDs mono 85m ADD
Find it at AmazonFind it at Amazon UKFind it at Amazon GermanyFind it at Amazon CanadaFind it at Amazon FranceFind it at Amazon JapanOrder Now from ArkivMusic.com

Lyrita's inexhaustible British treasures seem to go on and on. This issue, dedicated to two of Britain's foremost piano composers, is one of the latest instalments to highlight the music of John White and Alun Hoddinott.

Born in Berlin in 1936, the former occupied many prestigious positions in renowned institutions such as the Royal College of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School. He is currently Head of Music at the London Drama Centre. White is also an active trombonist and tuba player and he tours extensively as a piano recitalist. Among his huge output to date, the piano sonata genre is at the very forefront of his inspiration with 166 compositions and the four recorded here, although a tiny part of this immense achievement, are prime examples of his bouncy, eclectic style which explores the influences of such greats as Schumann, Liszt and Scriabin amongst others.

The music of Hoddinott (1929-2008) enjoys wider popularity than White's due to the fact that his language is perhaps more accessible and diverse. The 13 piano sonatas are his most important series of composition for solo instrument and in them Hoddinott's fascination with the keyboard and his constant pursuit of new approaches to sonata form are evident throughout.

The two Nocturnes and Elegy reveal the composer's natural ability to create "night music". Performances are wholly committed and both Kingsley and Tryon are passionate advocates of this rare repertoire. The sound quality does leave something to be desired but with performances of such stature, technical glitches are rather out of the equation.

Copyright © 2008, Gerald Fenech

Trumpet

© 1995-2022 Classical Net
Use of text, images, or any other copyrightable material contained in these pages, without the written permission of the copyright holder,
except as specified in the Copyright Notice, is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.