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AVAILABILITY  Usk Recordings

Spectrum 4: 66 Miniatures for solo piano Julian GRANT ...diamonds of a most praised water... Alexandre LUNSQUI ...tornando-se... Victoria BORISOVA-OLLAS A Midnight Bell Gerald BARRY Agnes von Hohenstaufen Timothy SALTER Ancient Footprints Jesus TORRES Aurora Simon BAINBRIDGE Bells Sohrab UDUMAN Berceuse PerMagnus LINDBORG Bugo Resonances Colin MATTHEWS Cascade Michael Zev GORDON Crystal Clear Erkki-Sven TUUR Dreamy Moment Roger REDGATE ecart Eric MOE Echo's Brief Lament Philip CASHIAN Edward Martin BUTLER Evening Bells Eleanor ALBERGA For Whom? Ananda SUKARLAN Gentle Darkness Ramon LAZKANO Gentle Sway Snorri Sigfus BIRGISSON Helios Daniel GIORGETTI Icicles Michael BLAKE ikos'tina Hilda PAREDES Las Estrellas Alun HODDINOTT Leapfrog Diana BURRELL Libra (Constellation No 4) Detlev GLANERT Lied im Meer Mindaugas URBAITIS Longing for Time's Faraway, Vanishing Things Joao Pedro OLIVEIRA Looking into the Mirror Howard SKEMPTON Lull Pavel NOVAK Marian Flowers Beat FURRER Melodie - fallend Stephen MONTAGUE Midnight Moon Adeline WONG Mind the Gap David SAWER Moebius Karen TANAKA Northern Lights Faidros KAVALLARIS Nostalgia Philip CASHIAN Orbit Joyce Bee Tuan KOH Piano Peals Graham FITKIN Piano Piece Surprisingly Early 03 Joseph VELLA Playing 6, 5, 4, 3, 2... Raymond YIU podskok Laurence CRANE Postlude David GORTON Prelude after d'Anglebert Peteris PLAKIDIS Quiet Walk in the Forest Param VIR Ratri Janet DAVEY Recollection Andrew TOOVEY Red Bird Alejandro GUARELLO S n d Tazul Izan TAJUDDIN Sebuah Pantum Gabriel JACKSON September Chorale Yi CHEN Singing in the Mountain Peter MAXWELL DAVIES Snow Cloud, over Lochan John WHITE Sonata 140 Jeremy Dale ROBERTS Stone - Standing Stone Alejandro VINAO Stumbling Star Poul RUDERS Swinging Bells Lyell CRESSWELL The Leith at Stockbridge Aulis SALLINEN The Sigh of Barabbas Giorgos KOUMENDAKIS The Silk Road John MCLEOD The Temple by the Sea Elena LANGER Utrecht Chimes Barry CONYNGHAM Veils 1 "...veils of the morning..." Rodney SHARMAN Voyageur Roderik de MAN Wajang Giles SWAYNE Whistling Tune Siaw Kin LEE Xi Yue (Teasing the Moon) Thalia Myers (piano) rec. 2005, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. USK 1227CDD [50:45 + 48:15]

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This, the fourth volume in a series of specially composed piano miniatures published by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, brings the total number of new works in this 'Spectrum' series to 141. All of the works here were composed between 2002 and 2003, and are consistent with the idea behind Spectrum, which is to provide generally short, technically approachable pieces which nonetheless reflect the character of each individual composer.   Listeners might feel a little daunted by the sheer number of different composers and pieces on offer here, but this musical environment is a deeply fascinating one. I wouldn't go as far as to say that the composers names are irrelevant, but it is interesting to listen anonymously (or even 'Nemonymously' as a writer colleague of mine would have it) and view the whole thing as a sort of miniaturist's scrapbook of the kind of music written in a particular year. In this way these recordings equate to a research document, and listening 'blind' you sometimes have the impression that the music is flowing like a set of variations. This sense of unity is of course helped a little by Thalia Myers' excellent playing. She has a natural gift for presenting the individual character of each piece, but her own personal 'sound' is of course a constant, whether it be in works quiet and lyrical, or boldly accented and angular. It almost goes without saying that the recording is superb, with the proven plus of Snape Maltings' acoustic supporting the piano in splendidly suspended silence.   It is interesting, if perhaps unsurprising to note how many of these little gems are quiet and restrained. Even when the dynamic goes beyond forte it is often an interjection, with quieter material forming the bulk of the work (Beat Furrer's Melodie-fallend, Alejandro Guarello's S n d, Ramon Lazkano's Gentle Sway, Hilda Paredes' Las estrellas, Param Vir's Ratri) or the brief climax to an arch form (Detlev Glanert's Lied im Meer). Just looking at the titles you can get a sense of the almost, quasi, not-quite-but-almost (dare I say it?) 'new-age' feel that infuses many of these pieces, so it is always refreshing when some more substantial music pops up (Alun Hoddinott's Leapfrog, Erkki-Sven Tüür's Short Meeting of Dark and Light, Joseph Vella's Playing 6,5,4,3,2...) or a sense of humour (Gerald Barry's Agnes von Hohenstaufen). One or two works with electronic extras also provide welcome variety (Barry Conyngham's Veils 1, Joyce Beetuan Koh's Piano Peals, Roderik de Man's Wajang, João Pedro Oliveira's Looking in the mirror, and one of my favourites; PerMagnus Lindborg's Bugo Resonances). There are very few atonal serialists (Roger Redgate's Webernesque écart), nor many Messiaen soundalikes (Jesús Torres' Aurora), and almost no 'jazz chords' (Raymond Yiu's podskok).   I was intrigued to see well-known composers being set against names which were new to me. The only one I think I might have identified correctly was Peter Maxwell Davies, whose Snow Cloud, over Lochan is impregnated with honest Scotch snaps. Once you put the name to the piece it's often a case of 'ooooh yes' - the fingerprints are there, just harder to spot sometimes, like picking out red roses in a poppy field. It is certainly interesting to hear how each composer approaches the framework of technical accessibility and compactness of duration. One might expect to find a little more intensity here and there, someone interested in solving the problem by some means of compression rather than in one or other kind of 'mood' music. There are some moments of genuine loveliness though (Karen Tanaka's Northern Lights), and nothing I would point to and criticise for being in any sense weak. Individual taste will sort out your own favourites, but you can rest assured that there's nothing offensively awful hiding among the small-but-perfectly-formed.   This is an ongoing project which should most certainly be continued, possibly in the direction of similar sets of new works for 'instruments with piano' or instrumental duets (If they call it 'Gamut 1' I have a piece already gift-wrapped!). As someone involved with the teaching profession I welcome such an injection of new life into the repertoire, and can imagine serious piano students being introduced to all kinds of new sounds and challenges with these works. As a recording it goes far beyond being 'just an educational project,' and as Thalia Myers herself describes it as an 'international art gallery of contemporary piano music' it's an exhibition which is very much worth the entry price, and well worth exploring at length.   Dominy Clements   AVAILABILITY  Usk Recordings   Advertising on Musicweb Donate and keep us afloat   New Releases All Naxos reviews All Hyperion reviews All Foghorn reviews All Troubadisc reviews all Bridge reviews all cpo reviews Click to see New Releases Get 10% off using code musicweb10 All Divine Art reviews All Eloquence reviews All Lyrita Reviews   Obtain 10% discount Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

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