CD Reviews - September 2019

Violinist Tasmin Little is joined by pianist John Lenehan for a glorious programme of works by Amy Beach (1867-1944), Clara Schumann (1819-1896) and Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944). They open with Beach’s wonderful Sonata, Op. 34. Beach was an accomplished pianist, debuting at the age of seven, but curtailed her highly successful performing career at the request of her husband, who preferred that she concentrate only on composition.  Her Sonata is full of lyricism and great virtuosity in the violin part, but, understandably given her pianism, the piano part is no slouch. Little and Lenehan clearly relish the beauty of Beach’s lush writing, as well as enjoying the virtuosity and playfulness, particularly in the quixotic Scherzo. There is as ever a warmth in Little’s tone that is ideally suited to this expansive music, and the flourish they both bring to the fiery finale is glorious. Clara Schumann was another piano virtuoso, but interestingly she had the opposite experience to Beach, her composing more or less coming to an end following her marriage.  Her Three Romances, Op. 22 were her final chamber composition, and these three short movements are full of rich melodic invention, with rippling piano accompaniments, particularly in the lightly playful third Romance. Dame Ethel Smyth was active in the woman’s suffrage movement, and her composition career was relatively successful (Clara Schumann was in fact one of her greatest supporters), although she faced much prejudice, her music being either deemed ‘too masculine’ or ‘too feminine’, depending on whether it was dramatic, rhythmic and powerful, or lyrical and melodic. In fact her Sonata Op. 7 contains both, with a dancing Scherzo and a beautiful, lilting slow movement, flanked by a richly inventive Allegro moderato, and a fabulously unapologetic Finale. Little and Lenehan perform with pace throughout, never allowing the more lyrical moments to become over indulgent, yet the pianissimo conclusion to the slow movement has beautiful delicacy. The finale is full of spirit, yet there is subtlety in Smyth’s writing here, so this is not just a throwaway finish. Little and Lenehan respect this with great attention to detail, but do allow proceedings to build to thrilling finish. To close the disc, we’re treated to two more short works by Beach, firstly a beautifully expressive Romance, Op. 23, with its heart definitely on its sleeve, followed by Invocation, Op. 55, equally romantic, but a little more introspective. Both receive heartfelt performances from Little and Lenehan here. With Little announcing her retirement from live performance earlier this year, her vast recording output becomes all the more precious, and this is definitely one to treasure.

Various. 2019. Tasmin Little plays Clara Schumann, Dame Ethel Smyth, Amy Beach. Tasmin Little, John Lenehan. Compact Disc. Chandos Records CHAN 20030.

During his tenure as composer in residence for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Stephen McNeff (b.1951) wrote a number of works for the orchestra, and for Kokoro, the orchestra’s new music ensemble. He has also written music for Ensemble 10/10, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s contemporary music ensemble. A selection of these works has been recorded by Kokoro, and their disc opens with Counting (Two), scored for an ensemble of solo wind, strings, piano and percussion. The rhythms are spiky and insistent, and there is a constant sense of energy in the fragments of virtuosic material passed between instruments. The central movement has a different feel, inspired by ‘an altogether different sort of ordered counting’, following a visit by McNeff to a war cemetery in Italy, and it opens and closes with a mournful, repetitive lament. Growing intensity builds to an outburst from the horn, before the lament returns. The rushing third movement brushes the sadness aside, concluding the work with a procession of winding material and persistent percussion. The Four Van Gogh Chalks are for a smaller ensemble, and open with a thoughtful, atmospheric impression, Mademoiselle Gachet at the Piano, with high violin, tinkling percussion and rippling piano and wind. Venus in a Top Hat is a quirky, slightly frenzied scherzo, and L’Écorché is darkly atmospheric. The collection ends with Couple Dancing, although their dancing is unsettlingly off-kilter, and ultimately collapses into nothing, the couple presumably exhausted from their efforts. The four pieces form a great miniature suite, performed here with great energy and precision by the Kokoro players. Next on the disc comes Strip Jack Naked, a vehicle for mezzo-soprano Lore Lixenberg. McNeff has written a considerable amount for opera and music theatre, and this is described as a ‘burlesque tragedy’ and a ‘contemporary comic opera’. The story, told in a libretto by comedy actor and writer Vicki Pepperdine, basically tells of a woman waking on her birthday and realising that people don’t like the way she now looks – so she embarks on a drastic course of cosmetic surgery, which goes horribly wrong with dark consequences. Lixenberg delivers the highly challenging mix of virtuosic singing, cutting speech and ‘Sprechstimme’ with startling command. The full work was performed on stage in 2007, and McNeff has produced a Song Suite, containing most of the songs, for this recording. The small instrumental ensemble adds moments of jazzy counterpoint and percussive emphasis, with some occasional chilling sound effects too, and despite obviously being a stage piece, this works remarkably well on disc, a testament to McNeff and Lixenberg’s impressive ability to communicate the chilling story. The final work here is Lux, for octet. McNeff explores light, how it changes and shifts, through eight sections that follow without break. The music has a spooky, ephemeral feel, fleeting and hard to pin down, like shifting shafts of light, and the faster sections have a strong sense of energy, assisted once again by driving percussion rhythms. The Kokoro players perform all this music with impressive virtuosity and clarity, and the rather dry recorded sound actually helps articulate McNeff’s complex writing, making this a fascinating exploration of his striking music.

McNeff, S. 2019. Strip Jack Naked - Ensemble works by Stephen McNeff. Kokoro. Compact Disc. Prima Facie PFCD106.

Finally, in brief, another great recording from Edward Gardner, recently announced as new Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Here he is with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, performing three Symphonies by Schubert (1797-1828), Nos. 3, 5 and 8, the ‘Unfinished’. Gardner’s Schubert is quick-paced but never rushed, and there is a lightness of touch throughout. No. 3 has charm and Haydn-esque spirit, with a blistering finale. No. 5 is more Mozartian, and here Gardner infuses the ‘little’ symphony, scored for smaller orchestra, with grace and elegance, particularly in the slow movement, yet he gives the rather straightforward Menuetto a much needed edge, and the finale rattles by in a whirl of energy. No. 8 starts whisperingly quietly, and the woodwind melody emerges out of nothing. This is a fine performance, expertly paced, never feeling rushed, but equally never wallowing in Schubert’s tempting lyrical melodies, thereby preserving the crucial arc of momentum many performances lose, and the impact of the development section’s dramatic outburst is consequently all the more effective. The seemingly calm second movement has always a sense of underlying tension, which bubbles to the surface in the second theme, over a gently pulsing off-beat rhythm, which then bursts out in a full-on tutti explosion. The contrasts here are the key, and Gardner’s dynamic range is impressive. A great opening volume, I look forward to more.  

Schubert, F. 2019. Symphonies Vol. 1: Nos. 3, 5 and 8. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. Chandos Records CHSA 5234. 

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, September 2019)

CD Reviews - February 2018

Identifying expressions of sexuality in music is dangerous territory, the ‘gayness’ or otherwise of Tchaikovsky’s music being the most notable example, with analysis often revealing frankly homophobic stereotyping.  However, regardless of the fact that Polish composer Karol Szymanowski’s (1882-1937) was gay, it is hard to deny the sensuality and eroticism in his music, particularly in the first Violin Concerto.  There is a rich, sumptuousness in the orchestration, and the seductively wandering solo violin lines are intriguingly captivating.  Written for violinist Paweł Kochański, who also wrote the closing cadenza, the solo part dominates throughout, and the single movement work flows without break.  And this month, two recordings of the work are out.

Tasmin Little is joined by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner, and her reading of the first Violin Concerto is taught and precise, as well as allowing the fuller, overtly romantic moments to blossom with full intensity.  Gardner again extracts precision from the BBCSO, as well as giving freer rein in the more ecstatic outbursts.  Little couples the first Violin Concerto with Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2, from about 16 years later, and also the Violin Concerto by a Polish contemporary of Szymanowski, Mieczysław Karłowicz (1876-1909).  Szymanowski’s second Concerto is less overtly sensual, with perhaps more edge and bite, and the central cadenza which links the two movements, again written by Kochański, has much more of a sense of contemplation and reflection, despite its virtuosic challenges, and Little manages this combination with great subtlety of expression.  The Concerto’s final swirling cadenza has great energy from Little, ably supported by Gardner and the BBCSO.  Karłowicz’s Concerto that completes Little’s disc is a much lighter affair, with some delicate woodwind writing in the orchestral textures.  Following clearly in the Tchaikovsky/Bruch concerto mold, this perhaps lacks a distinctive enough voice, but is an enjoyable vehicle for the soloist nevertheless, and Little enjoys the lyrical melodies and expressive flourishes here.

American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers places the Szymanowski at the centre of her disc, preceded by a work she commissioned from Finish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016), which turned out to be his penultimate composition. Fantasia, from which Meyers took the title for her disc, is a single movement work, with a slow, lyrical solo line supported by warm orchestral textures, also relatively slow moving in terms of pulse and harmonic direction.  Meyers’ tone is warm and sweet, and she is supported in the music’s wandering ebb and flow by the rich tones of the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Kristjan Järvi.  This beautiful, lyrical music is ultimately a relatively fleeting reflection at just under 14 minutes, but a highly engaging one nonetheless.  Meyers’ Szymanowski is full-bodied and incisive, and the Philharmonia and Järvi match with a strong dynamic range and rich string sound in particular.  Meyers closes her disc with a lively rendition of Maurice Ravel’s (1875-1937) Tzigane, full of delicate touches and fine articulation, and if the opening cadenza could be grittier, she has great fun with the orchestral dance, and her race to the finish is exhilarating.

Both Szymanowski interpretations are strong, with little to separate them – Little just edges ahead in terms of expressiveness for me.  Little’s Szymanowski No. 2 is also highly engaging, whilst Meyers’ warmly personal Rautavaara is a great attraction.  On value for money, I would say Meyers disc at just over 48 minutes is a little sparse in comparison to Little’s 73 minutes.  Otherwise, both are welcome additions to the catalogue.

Various. 2017. Szymanowski, Karłowicz: Violin Concertos. Tasmin Little, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. Chandos CHSA 5185.

Various. 2017. Fantasia. Anne Akiko Meyers, Philharmonia Orchestra, Kristjan Järvi. Avie AV23850.

Composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad's (b.1980) continues to demonstrate great originality and variety in her compositions, and her new disc is a great showcase for her writing.  The opening work, Katharsis for Cello and Ensemble, was commissioned by and is performed here by cellist David Cohen, with the Rambert Orchestra, conducted by Paul Hoskins.  Frances-Hoad trained as a cellist at the Yehudi Menuhin School, so clearly has great understanding in writing for the instrument, but what strikes me most here is the writing for woodwind, particularly in the Minuet and Trio, with wind instruments delicately dancing around the solo cello harmonics.  Throughout, whilst there is plenty for the cello to display, much of the interest is in the interplay between soloist and the chamber ensemble.  The Forgiveness Machine, performed by the Phoenix Piano Trio is inspired by Beethoven’s Archduke Trio, and has an ethereal, almost stationary feel, with momentary outbursts subsiding into richly textured harmonies and delicate, long melodic lines, building to a full-blooded climax, before once again falling away to nothingness.  Quark Dances was written for a slightly larger ensemble, again performed here by the Rambert Orchestra and Paul Hoskins, and originally formed part of a ballet inspired by a visit to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.  Again, Frances-Hoad’s imaginative orchestration is striking, with quirky moto perpetuo writing for the harpsichord in the Scherzando, and slightly seasick string slides underpinning a calling horn and wind flourishes in the central Andante.  Her seven solo piano pieces, Homages, have clear inspiration in specific works by seven different composers, yet she takes these initial inspirations in unexpected directions.  For example, the opening Contemplation, drawing on Grieg’s Op. 7 Sonata, has a cool, jazzy feel, and the dreamy Lullaby moves from Schubert to a much darker, slightly ominous soundworld.   The Ravel-inspired Un Canard hors de l’eau is perhaps closer in terms of harmonic language to the source, but the ethereal Mendelssohnian Song without Words once again has a darkness of mood.  Whilst the harmonic language of Stolen Rhythm is a along way from Haydn, his wit and lively spirit is discernible, and Balkan rhythms abound in Bar(tik)tok.  Pianist Ivana Gavrić negotiates the demands of such diverse styles and moods with ease and convincing commitment.  A Refusal to Mourn for Oboe and String Orchestra closes the disc, with oboist Nicholas Daniel joining the Rambert Orchestra and Hoskins. Written to commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the death of Bach, there are roots here in Lutheran chorales, but once again, Frances-Hoad takes her points of inspiration to imaginatively evocative new places.  She exploits the plaintive tones of the oboe in the opening Recitative, then makes great use of the instrument’s quirkier side in the bouncing Fugato, before long lyrical lines return for the oboe in the closing Chorale, and Daniel’s breath control in the final extended solo line is highly impressive.  Frances-Hoad is a composer with impressive creative inspiration, as well as technical command of writing for varied musical forces – highly recommended.

Frances-Hoad, C. 2017. Stolen Rhythm. Nicholas Daniel, David Cohen, Ivan Gavrić, Phoenix Piano Trio, Rambert Orchestra, Paul Hoskins. Champs Hill Records CHRCD119.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, February 2018)

CD Reviews - June 2017

Last year, I had the great fortune to perform Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius in the Brighton Festival with Brighton Festival Chorus.  It was evident then that conductor Edward Gardner has expert command of Edward Elgar’s (1857-1934) music, so I was very much looking forward to his new recording of Elgar’s Symphony No. 1.  An added bonus is Elgar’s often overlooked Introduction and Allegro for string quartet and string orchestra, a piece I remember fondly from youth orchestra days (a very long time ago!), and on this disc, the BBC Symphony Orchestra are joined by the Doric String Quartet.  Like many others before him, Elgar waited a long time before composing his first symphony, perhaps feeling the weight of expectation, and the great symphonists that had gone before. Yet when it finally came, in his 50^th year, it proved to be a huge success, described by Hans Richter as 'the greatest symphony of modern times', and it was performed nearly one hundred times in the first year alone. The orchestration is rich and lavish, yet Elgar uses great contrasts in texture too. The opening noble theme sets us off perhaps expecting Elgar in Pomp and Circumstance mode, but the restless Allegro shocks the listener out of any nostalgic pomp very quickly. Gardner takes a balanced approach here, not allowing the noble opening to get bogged down, and giving the Allegro the right degree of turbulent energy, eliciting some particularly bright brass playing from the BBCSO players.  The second movement is also turbulent, and here again Gardner injects drive and energy. The beautiful Adagio that follows without a break, and masterfully transforms the theme from the previous movement, prompted a standing ovation at the first performance, and here it is given a particularly touching reading.  The final movement has incredibly full string textures, with the string sections subdivided several times, and the triumphant return of the opening noble theme with a blaze of trumpets gives a rousing finish.  Gardner keeps his powder dry, and holds the tension, so that when we finally arrive at the triumphant conclusion it has the powerful impact that Elgar surely intended.  In the Introduction and Allegro, Elgar plays with the contrast between the intimate forces of the string quartet and the larger, richer sounds of the full strings.  Gardner points out the detail in Elgar’s writing, with incisive playing from the Doric String Quartet, and precise ensemble from the full strings, particularly in the Allegro’s angular fugal writing.  This is a taut reading of the work, emphasising detail over emotional impact, perhaps, but highly engaging nonetheless, leaving me wanting more Elgar from Gardner very soon.

Elgar, E. 2017. Symphony No. 1, Introduction and Allegro. Doric String Quartet, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. Chandos CHSA 5181.

Last year I reviewed a couple of discs of Alex McCartney playing lute music.  Now he has released a recording performing on the lute’s very big brother, the wonderful theorbo.  Often used as part of an accompanying ‘basso continuo’ section, it’s great to hear it placed centre-stage as a solo instrument.  Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (c.1580-1651) was a virtuoso lute and theorbo performer, as well as composer, and McCartney has recorded here a selection of pieces from his 3^rd and 4^th books of works for the latter instrument.  They consist of predominantly Toccatas and Preludes, the former (which translates as ‘Touched’) giving the title to McCartney’s CD.  The Preludes are brief, barely a minute each, and the Toccatas are also slight.  But they nevertheless contain some fascinating and downright quirky harmonies and unexpected clashes.  With the rich, deep tones of the theorbo, and some rippling and cascading runs, deftly articulated here by McCartney, this is a delightful programme.  There are one or two more substantial movements, such as a Gagliarda, with wonderful falling chains of clashing suspensions, and a pleasing Passacaglia, but two of the shorter movements stuck out for me – the bell-like ‘Capona’, and the Spanish inflections of ‘Canarios’, for which McCartney managed a tastefully subtle dying repeat at the end.  Another enjoyable disc – notably recorded and produced by McCartney himself on his on micro record label, Veterum Musica – and a great chance to hear the theorbo up close.

Various. 2016. Toccata: Touched. Alex McCartney. Compact Disc. Veterum Musica. VM015.

Violinist Tasmin Little and pianist Piers Lane have been performing together for many years, and they follow on from highly successful recordings of Schubert, Strauss and two discs of British violin sonatas with their new disc.  They combine several works by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) with César Franck’s (1822-1890) highly dramatic and romantic Sonata, with Gabriel Fauré’s (1845-1924) Romance thrown in for good measure.  Franck’s Sonata has a deceptively delicate opening, and Lane and Little are particularly sensitive to this intimate start. The turbulent Allegro that comes next is given great passion, followed by the emotionally operatic third movement, with touchingly sweet tones from Little especially.  In the spring-like canon that opens the finale, Little matches Lane’s delicate touch, and they follow this movement’s trajectory into the light, with a bright, summery flourish to finish.  We move into late summer/autumn with Fauré’s nostalgic Romance, which allows Little the freedom to demonstrate her singing tone in its delicate lyricism.  Szymanowski’s Sonata has comparable passion to Franck’s, and it follows a similar cyclical structure.  It is full of youthful exuberance, yet he can do intimate simplicity too, as demonstrated in the gentle, almost prayerful piano opening to the second movement, contrasted with a playful central section with jaunty pizzicato from the violin, and the finale has an infectious driving energy.  Szymanowski’s Romance is also passionate, although the temperature drops for an intimate central section with wandering harmonies, before the passion returns for its conclusion.  The Notturno e Tarantella that ends the disc comes from just 11 years after the Sonata, yet we’re into new territory here, with the mysterious, glassy rumblings and dramatic outbursts of the Notturno followed by a highly virtuosic, wild and swirling Tarantella to finish, with Little adopting a suitably harsher sound to add bite to their expert reading.  Another strong set of performances to add to Little & Lane’s already substantial portfolio of recordings together.

Various. 2017. Franck, Szymanowski, Fauré: Works for Violin and Piano. Tasmin Little, Piers Lane. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10940.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, June 2017)

CD Reviews - February 2017

Countertenor Iestyn Davies is joined by the early music ensemble Arcangelo, directed by Jonathan Cohen, for a showcase recording of solo alto Cantatas by J S Bach (1685-1750).  These cantatas are the perfect vehicle to demonstrate Davies’ pure, even tone and Arcangelo’s range, from subtle continuo to full ensemble, always maintaining chamber intimacy.  The first cantata on the disc, BWV170 ‘Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust’, opens with a beautifully warm aria, with long notes expertly sustained by Davies underpinned by a slow descending bassline and a intertwining oboe line. Davies’ recitatives are suitably dramatic, within an overall contained aesthetic, with great attention given to the text. The closing aria here has an energetic pace, with some impressive organ playing.  Cantata BWV54, ‘Widerstehe doch der Sünde’ is shorter, with just two arias and a central recitative, but the building repeated chords and suspensions of the opening aria is a highlight of the disc, with Davies delivering an even line over the pulsing accompaniment.  The descending chromatic line of the second aria takes Davies into a lower register, yet there is no audible ‘gear change’, and the overall effect is as smooth as the instruments on the same fugue theme.  Sandwiched between the alto cantatas, Arcangelo give lively performances of Sinfonias from two other cantatas, BWV52 and 174.  Here, Bach reworked movements from his Brandenburg Concertos – with BWV52, he adds hunting horns, oboes and bassoon to the third Concerto’s opening movement, whereas BWV174 comes from the first Concerto.  Arcangelo are spirited and energetic, and these provide a welcome lift amidst the more contemplative mood of the solo cantatas.  The final Cantata, BWV82, ‘Ich habe genug’, was originally for bass, and then Bach rewrote it for soprano, with a flute replacing the solo oboe, before producing a version for alto.  Here, the combination of warm oboe tones from Katharina Spreckelsen with the smooth, steady line of Davies in the opening aria is incredibly moving, and the central lullaby with its lilting accompaniment is equally touching.  An impressive and highly moving recording.

Bach, J. S. 2017. Widerstehe doch de Sünde, Ich have genug,Vergnügte Ruh'. Iestyn Davies, Arcangelo, Jonathan Cohen.  Compact Disc. Hyperion CDA68111.

Violinist Tasmin Little joins pianist Piers Lane for their second volume of British Violin Sonatas.  The meat of the disc is John Ireland’s (1879-1962) wonderful Sonata No. 1.  With it’s turbulent opening movement, a beautifully song-like central Romance, and a folksy Rondo to finish, this is a striking work, despite being less popular than Ireland’s Sonata No. 2 which followed some seven years later.  Little is lyrical and sensitive in the touching Romance, and Lane rises to the challenges of Ireland’s weighty writing for the piano in the first movement, without allowing it to overpower the violin.  Sir Arthur Bliss’ (1891-1975) early single movement Sonata is by contrast rather over dramatic and a little over-emphatic.  It was part of a fuller Sonata that he was working on when his brother Kennard was killed in the First World War, and he abandoned the work, never completing it.  The Sonata by Frank Bridge (1879-1941) that opens the disc is another incomplete work, with the second movement completed by Paul Hindmarsh.  The opening is surprisingly brash for Bridge, but it settles down into a more recognisable style, with intriguingly unusual harmonies, and in the second movement, a galloping central scherzo surrounded by a beautifully subdued and lyrical slow section, and a subtle coda (composed by Hindmarsh, but drawing on ideas from the first movement, as Bridge would surely have done himself).  A Romance and Pastorale from Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), both with wandering modal themes, and more than a hint of The Lark Ascending in the Romance, are beautifully performed here, with Little in particular enjoying Vaughan Williams’ meandering, rising lines for the violin.  The disc ends with a brief piece by William Lloyd Webber (1914-1982) (father of Andrew & Julian), ‘The Gardens at Eastwell’, his final composition.  It is a pleasant enough miniature, with a captivating tune, but rather inconsequential when compared with the other works on the disc.  The highlight of the disc is their compelling performance of the Ireland, but overall this is a stimulating survey of some lesser-known yet striking British chamber works.   

Various. 2016. British Violin Sonatas, Volume Two. Tasmin Little, Piers Lane. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10899. 

I recently reconnected with an old school friend, pianist Adrian Lord, discovering he has just released a recording of his own Twelve Romances for Piano, entitled Journey.  As the name would suggest, this is a very personal set of solo piano pieces, some inspired by significant places, such as childhood holidays in the Peak District, and travels in Scotland.  The album was recorded in the stunning setting of a studio at Crear in Western Scotland, overlooking the Paps of Jura.  This is a highly enjoyable and atmospheric short set of miniatures, with a common thread of rhythmic momentum and interest over simple harmonic progressions.  The result is often very effective and engaging.  There are clear references to family roots in the Lancashire mills, with spinning rhythms in ‘Blaize’ and ‘Revolutions’, and a similar sense of perpetual motion in the hypnotic opening ‘Prelude’.  The pieces are united by their use of repetition and arpeggiated patterns, yet variety is achieved in imaginative use of dynamics, such as in the fiery sections of ‘Wildfire’, and the moving concluding ‘Time to Remember’, written in memory of his recently deceased mother.  Adrian performs this personal collection with conviction, and the quasi-improvisatory nature of his compositions makes for very engaging listen. 

Lord, A. 2016. Journey: Twelve Romances for Piano. Compact Disc. Music Media MMC115.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, February 2017)