Three works have recently been added to my site presenting restored 78s and they are introduced below.There is an opportunity to hear the John Ireland Concerto for Piano performed by the Ealing Symphony Orchestra under their Conductor John Gibbons on Saturday February 18th 2012, 7.30pm as follows.
Samantha Ward
(piano)
90th Anniversary Concert,
supported by the John Ireland Trust
WALTON
Façade Suite No. 1
John IRELAND
Piano Concerto
ELGAR / Payne
Symphony No. 3
Tickets £12
(concessions £10, under-25/full-time student £5, accompanied under-16 £1)
St Barnabas Church, Pitshanger Lane, London W5 1QG (map)
Ealing Broadway (1 mi), Hanger Lane (1 mi)
One of the two modern pieces of music that I found in my father's collection of 78s when I began to explore them in the 1950s was the first Piano Concerto of Shostakovich with Eileen Joyce. As a contrast to this pianist's interpretations of the Mozart Piano Sonatas already on my site ( see link below) I have added the Shostakovitch concerto together with what for me is a major discovery, John Ireland's piano concerto (also with Eileen Joyce and the Halle). The Shostakovich got pretty short shrift from the Gramophone reviewer in 1941 as you can see for yourselves on the Archive but I enjoyed the piece and was given the chance to play the solo part in the Second Concerto with the school orchestra later in the decade.
To my shame I have not yet bought the Eric Parkin set of Ireland piano works although I have three of the four volumes of scores and stumble through them from time to time, but here I am listening to "Song of Springtides" from the Parkin set (wonderful!!!!) on YouTube and lo-and-behold one of the themes is almost identical with one from the Concerto. There are several modern recordings of this rarely performed work and here is a relatively painless chance to get to know it. I say relatively because the records themselves are slightly dished/off-centred but I hope you can hear through the imperfections and enjoy the harmonic invention and the marvellous piano playing of Eileen Joyce.
The Ballet "Dante Sonata" was conceived by Frederick Ashton shortly after the beginning of the Second World War. Constant Lambert, Musical Director of the Vic-Wells Ballet, orchestrated a piano piece by Franz Liszt; "Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata" from "Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie" to provide a work that is very dramatic, operatic even, many different rhythms and textures giving scope for all aspects of dance. The original principal dancers were Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes. Birmingham Royal Ballet recently revived the work. A memoir of the wartime performances is to be found on their website.
Louis Kentner was the pianist in the contemporary recording with the Sadler's Wells Orchestra conducted by the arranger, Constant Lambert. As presented on my site, I have placed the piece as a postscript to Louis Kentner's performance of the Hammerklavier Sonata feeling that for it to come first would be inappropriate! You will necessarily hear the opening bars of the Beethoven as the file loads and I hope that those who have shied away from the demands of such a peak of musicality ( as I have, in the past) will be persuaded to give it an extended trial.
Samantha Ward
(piano)
90th Anniversary Concert,
supported by the John Ireland Trust
WALTON
Façade Suite No. 1
John IRELAND
Piano Concerto
ELGAR / Payne
Symphony No. 3
Tickets £12
(concessions £10, under-25/full-time student £5, accompanied under-16 £1)
St Barnabas Church, Pitshanger Lane, London W5 1QG (map)
Ealing Broadway (1 mi), Hanger Lane (1 mi)
One of the two modern pieces of music that I found in my father's collection of 78s when I began to explore them in the 1950s was the first Piano Concerto of Shostakovich with Eileen Joyce. As a contrast to this pianist's interpretations of the Mozart Piano Sonatas already on my site ( see link below) I have added the Shostakovitch concerto together with what for me is a major discovery, John Ireland's piano concerto (also with Eileen Joyce and the Halle). The Shostakovich got pretty short shrift from the Gramophone reviewer in 1941 as you can see for yourselves on the Archive but I enjoyed the piece and was given the chance to play the solo part in the Second Concerto with the school orchestra later in the decade.
To my shame I have not yet bought the Eric Parkin set of Ireland piano works although I have three of the four volumes of scores and stumble through them from time to time, but here I am listening to "Song of Springtides" from the Parkin set (wonderful!!!!) on YouTube and lo-and-behold one of the themes is almost identical with one from the Concerto. There are several modern recordings of this rarely performed work and here is a relatively painless chance to get to know it. I say relatively because the records themselves are slightly dished/off-centred but I hope you can hear through the imperfections and enjoy the harmonic invention and the marvellous piano playing of Eileen Joyce.
The Ballet "Dante Sonata" was conceived by Frederick Ashton shortly after the beginning of the Second World War. Constant Lambert, Musical Director of the Vic-Wells Ballet, orchestrated a piano piece by Franz Liszt; "Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata" from "Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie" to provide a work that is very dramatic, operatic even, many different rhythms and textures giving scope for all aspects of dance. The original principal dancers were Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes. Birmingham Royal Ballet recently revived the work. A memoir of the wartime performances is to be found on their website.
Louis Kentner was the pianist in the contemporary recording with the Sadler's Wells Orchestra conducted by the arranger, Constant Lambert. As presented on my site, I have placed the piece as a postscript to Louis Kentner's performance of the Hammerklavier Sonata feeling that for it to come first would be inappropriate! You will necessarily hear the opening bars of the Beethoven as the file loads and I hope that those who have shied away from the demands of such a peak of musicality ( as I have, in the past) will be persuaded to give it an extended trial.
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