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ALAN RAWSTHORNE Music for violin and piano; Music for piano Benedict Holland (violin) Alan Cuckston (piano)   [DDD] SWINSTY RECORDS FEW121CD

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The music for violin and piano comes first. Pierrette is an attractive salon piece but hampered by the predictability of its triple rhythm which often makes music sound cheap. Predictability and reliance on formulae and devices in music is often disadvantageous.

The Concertante dates from the mid 1930s. It has some interesting harmonies and both a lyricism and classical style and concludes with some robust music. It is a good piece and is given a fine performance.

But it is the Violin Sonata of 1959 that is the prize on this disc. It does not have the power and originality of the sonata by Mátyás Seiber written about the same time but it is a serious piece in four movements. The opening movement sandwiches an allegro non troppo between adagio sections and the 'classical' clarity is admirable. The allegretto does not make an ample contrast with the first movement but the following toccata is a reasonably strong movement although this performance, good as it is, could have been more allegro di bravura.

The finale, epilogue is marked adagio rhapsodico and, in my view, is the finest movement. I admire the lyricism given to the violin, the simplicity and economy of the music and yet it is never sparse. It has a tenderness, not quite beautiful music, but approaching it.

The piano pieces begin with the Four Bagatelles of 1938 which are given a convincing performance and I am glad that some of Rawsthorne's fussy markings of tone are ignored. The opening allegro is reminiscent of Brahms' middle piano music ... consider Op 79, for example and has that often intrusive Rawsthorne 'signature tune' for example bar 34ff. Compare, for example, the Piano Concerto No 1 ... figure 16ff in the first movement. The allegretto has that Bachian clarity that Rawsthorne so enjoyed and the presto non assai has the same thumbprint but now in 6/8 time and another of his 'signature tunes' that can be detected all over his work notably in Practical Cats. The lento used to strike me as a meander but is a thoughtful piece and Bach is not far away. For the keen listener consider the Concerto in D minor for two violins as a comparison.

The Four Romantic Pieces of 1953 are really another set of bagatelles. The word 'romantic' refers to imagination of course, and the tempi of the pieces agree chronologically with the Four Bagatelles. But, by now, a worrying feature appears. Rawsthorne has some good thematic ideas but does not develop them and this is a pity and, apart from the Piano Concerto No 1 little of his piano music sparkles. It is rather 'brown' and passive.

My esteemed colleagues rate the Ballad of 1967 as Alan's best piano work. This seems to show some influence of Debussy and both the classicism of Bach and the mellow Brahms have receded. The Ballad has always caused me to consider it to be autobiographical but here is not the place to develop this conviction.

After completing the Ballad, Alan told Humphrey Searle and I that he was still searching for a personal style. And I think that sums it up. It is Rawsthorne's lack of a personal voice and identity coupled with his sometimes colourless music that many people find disconcerting.

And yet these performances should go a long way to dispel that notion. Certainly the Violin Sonata should be given a wide circulation.

Reviewer

David Wright

Performances

Recording


Reviewer

David Wright

Performances

Recording


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