Piano Work

John Tavener’s piano works are less well known than his large orchestral, vocal and choral works, yet at times seem to mark his stylistic and spiritual development on a more personal level. Tavener’s first piano work, Palin, foreshadows his search for a spirituality beyond the sophisticated, technical manipulation of musical material. The loss of his cats inspired Tavener to write Mandoodles, depicting short scenes from the life of his cat Mandu, and the bell-like In Memory of Two Cats. Ypakoë, with passages in Greek or Middle Eastern style, is a contemplative meditation on the passion and resurrection of Christ. Pratiru¯pa, Sanskrit for “reflection”, is the composer’s largest work so far for piano solo. In the words of the composer, in this work “a series of self-reflecting harmonies, melodies and rhythms attempt to reflect the most beautiful, the Divine Presence which resides in every human being”.

For Volume 24 of 'The Romantic Piano Concerto' Hyperion went to Portugal to celebrate one of the country's greatest musical sons. José Vianna da Motta, if he is remembered at all, is primarily known as a very fine pianist. He was one of Liszt's last pupils, became a friend of Busoni, and left a small body of very impressive 78rpm recordings. After many years based in Berlin he returned to his country of birth as director of the Lisbon conservatory and became central to the musical life of the country. And like many other performers of the day, he also composed.

With their flair and brilliance, the Six Preludes justifiably became regarded as among Lennox Berkeley’s finest piano works. They originated in a BBC commission for short pieces that could be performed as interludes between programmes (the BBC later dropped this idea). Berkeley intended the pieces to be playable by skilled amateurs and while two proved more difficult than he had envisaged, none requires a virtuoso pianist.
Berkeley’s natural adroitness at developing thematic material is nowhere demonstrated better than in the Sonata, his most significant …

This is the most beautiful of Mozart playing, his last piano concerto given here by Emil Gilels with total clarity. This is a classic performance, memorably accompanied by the VPO and Böhm. Suffice it to say that Gilels sees everything and exaggerates nothing, that the performance has an Olympian authority and serenity, and that the Larghetto is one of the glories of the gramophone. He's joined by his daughter Elena in the Double Piano Concerto in E flat, and their physical relationship is mirrored in the quality, and the mutual understanding of the playing: both works receive marvellous interpretations. We think Emil plays first, Elena second, but could be quite wrong. The VPO under Karl Böhm is at its best; and so is the quality of recording, with a good stereo separation of the two solo parts, highly desirable in this work.

Ilse Fromm-Michaels - Babette Dorn - Complete Piano Works
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 209 MB | Full Artwork: 67 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Tacet # TACET 96 | Country/Year: Germany 1999
Genre: Classical | Style: Early 20th Century, Piano

Ilse Fromm-Michaels (1888 - 1986) was a famous female pianist and composer at the beginning of the 20th century. 1933 she was completely banned from pursuing her career, because she refused to abandon her jewish husband. She was not allowed to perform in public. None of her works could be played or published. The results of this discrimination can be felt up to the present day. (…) Babette Dorn’s solid pianism and excellent musicianship make a convincing case for the revival of Fromm-Michaels’ essentially derivative yet ultimately rewarding keyboard output. Should an enterprising label undertake her 1938 Symphony or Music Larga for clarinet and string quartet, I’ll be there to listen.

Ilse Fromm-Michaels - Babette Dorn - Complete Piano Works
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 209 MB | Full Artwork: 67 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Tacet # TACET 96 | Country/Year: Germany 1999
Genre: Classical | Style: Early 20th Century, Piano

Ilse Fromm-Michaels (1888 - 1986) was a famous female pianist and composer at the beginning of the 20th century. 1933 she was completely banned from pursuing her career, because she refused to abandon her jewish husband. She was not allowed to perform in public. None of her works could be played or published. The results of this discrimination can be felt up to the present day. (…) Babette Dorn’s solid pianism and excellent musicianship make a convincing case for the revival of Fromm-Michaels’ essentially derivative yet ultimately rewarding keyboard output. Should an enterprising label undertake her 1938 Symphony or Music Larga for clarinet and string quartet, I’ll be there to listen.