Messiaen: Piano Works

Advantages: Excellent selection and performance of piano works by Frank Bridge
Disadvantages: A few pieces are not very interesting

...Frank Bridge was an early twentieth century English composer. His works are not widely known, but are played increasingly, and more recordings are becoming available. Some of his later works, such as his piano sonata, were influenced by Scriabin. This CD is the second of three, and covers a wide range of styles, but mostly in his earlier style. Most of the pieces on this CD are fairly easy to listen to, and can be enjoyed by the majority of classical music lovers. The opening piece, Etude Rhapsodique, is an etude appropriately played by Jacobs, in the grand manner (of Liszt and other nineteenth century virtuosi), full of late nineteenth century panache, but with Bridge's own distinctive voice. The second piece, Berceuse, is played beautifully, a gentle piece as the name would suggest (a lullaby) but again with Bridge's own... Read review

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Advantages: Dreamy, peaceful, emotional music; range of abilities catered for
Disadvantages: None!

...From a piano player's point of view, Debussy is a true master of the composing craft. His pieces wash over you as you play, enfolding you in the various emotions - joy, sadness, surprise, peace - which are so deeply engrained in the music. There are pieces to suit all abilities, from the (for the most part) fairly easy Rêverie to some of the fiendishly difficult Préludes, for which the scores look like nothing you've seen on earth; and whilst the pieces on occasion may sound discordant and even simply bad at first, stick with them as every time you will in the end be richly rewarded. Playing a Debussy piece isn't about learning notes and precise regimented time signatures, as with Bach for example. It's about letting your emotions flow out into the piano, about letting yourself go completely, just for a few moments. Start... Read review

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Advantages: Beautifully hypnotic music from the master of floating ambient piano
Disadvantages: It is a very short CD indeed

...appreciate Budd's spectacularly subdued talent without ever listening to his music. There is something intangible in it and even when he reminds you of others, such as Philip Glass in the opening piece: Pulse Pause Repeat, it is always entirely Harold Budd. Perhaps pieces such as Pulse Pause Repeat were influenced by Glass' more simple piano works, and it would make sense as they have a lot in common, though Glass' work is certainly more rhythmical than Budd's. Nevertheless, they are artists engaged in almost life long aesthetics that in general leave you either hypnotised or bored. Equally, La Casa Bruja is reminiscent of Michael Nyman's soundtrack to The Piano, though more restrained but just as beautiful, if not more so for the restraint. Some artists are at their best (such as Beethoven) when at their most passionate. Budd is at his most... Read review

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