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Matthews: Piano Concerto; Music For Piano / Mikkola, Vass, Orchestra Nova
Toccata

Matthews: Piano Concerto; Music For Piano / Mikkola, Vass, Orchestra Nova

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Details

Composer
MATTHEWS, DAVID
Artist
Mikkola, Vass
Format
CD
Label
Toccata
Released
Mar 26, 2013
Catalog #
TOCC0166
UPC
5060113441669

About

In his piano music, as in his symphonies and string quartets, the English composer David Matthews (b. 1943) marries the idiom of classical tradition with that of his own day. His 2009 Piano Concerto, Mozartian in spirit, contains both a tango and a blues; his Piano Sonata of 1989 includes jazz elements, and his 1997 Variations feature both further blues and a homage to Beethoven. The mood of the music on this CD ranges from contemplative introspection to fiery, rhythmic energy. David Matthews describes the Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola as ‘a marvellous exponent of my music’. This disc is released to mark David Matthews’ 70th birthday in March.

REVIEW:

David Matthews’s 2009 Piano Concerto, with string orchestra, is an approachable, joyfully tonal work that should appeal to pianists and audiences seeking a diverting, fresh 20-minute extension of the worlds of Britten and Tippett, with excellent craftsmanship and minimal complication. It would take an act of desperation not to enjoy it, and unless you are a firebreathing modernist you will.

Speaking of “firebreathing”, the earlier Piano Sonata (1989), in three continuous movements, is far more acerbic and breathlessly dramatic. Prokofieff may be a distant influence, but the language is more relentlessly dissonant, and some would call it “advanced”. It’s pretty exciting, and like most of this composer’s work is unfailingly musical.

The 1997 Variations is an imaginative and very effective set built on a theme of descending thirds very distantly related to Brahms, but its treatment is very much of our time. Always with a distant flavor of tonality in the background, the seemingly improvisatory work holds the attention until the quiet, bluesy close.

Dionysus Dithyrambs (2007, 2004) are two brief pieces inspired by Nietzsche. Scriabin lurks, especially in the pieces dealing with Nietzsche’s insanity, most obviously in the wild final piece (‘Esultante’) with its whiffs of Tristan toward the end. Tristan gets up to dance in the final piece on the program, ‘One to Tango’ (1990, rev 1993), a pleasant but not trivial coda.

This should be of interest to pianists looking for high-quality end of century repertoire.

The excellent Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola acquits herself nobly.

-- American Record Guide

Tracklist 35 tracks

  1. 1 I. Con moto moderato 06:01
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Con moto moderato
    Duration
    06:01
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Nova
    Conductor
    George Vass
  2. 2 II. Tango: Tempo di tango energico 02:43
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Tango: Tempo di tango energico
    Duration
    02:43
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Nova
    Conductor
    George Vass
  3. 3 III. Elegy: Largo e mesto 04:50
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Elegy: Largo e mesto
    Duration
    04:50
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Nova
    Conductor
    George Vass
  4. 4 IV. Allegro con spirito 04:53
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro con spirito
    Duration
    04:53
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
    Ensemble
    Orchestra Nova
    Conductor
    George Vass
  5. 5 I. Allegro molto e ritmico 06:46
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro molto e ritmico
    Duration
    06:46
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  6. 6 II. Andante 03:11
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    03:11
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  7. 7 III. Allegro 02:45
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  8. 8 Theme: Allegro 00:27
    Track
    8
    Title
    Theme: Allegro
    Duration
    00:27
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  9. 9 Variation 1: L'istesso tempo 00:23
    Track
    9
    Title
    Variation 1: L'istesso tempo
    Duration
    00:23
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  10. 10 Variation 2: Poco più sostenuto 00:23
    Track
    10
    Title
    Variation 2: Poco più sostenuto
    Duration
    00:23
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  11. 11 Variation 3: Vivace e leggiero 00:25
    Track
    11
    Title
    Variation 3: Vivace e leggiero
    Duration
    00:25
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  12. 12 Variation 4: Un poco solenne 00:34
    Track
    12
    Title
    Variation 4: Un poco solenne
    Duration
    00:34
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  13. 13 Variation 5: Presto leggiero 00:30
    Track
    13
    Title
    Variation 5: Presto leggiero
    Duration
    00:30
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  14. 14 Variation 6: Allegro moderato 00:28
    Track
    14
    Title
    Variation 6: Allegro moderato
    Duration
    00:28
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  15. 15 Variation 7: Allegro drammatico 00:27
    Track
    15
    Title
    Variation 7: Allegro drammatico
    Duration
    00:27
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  16. 16 Variation 8: Scherzando 00:26
    Track
    16
    Title
    Variation 8: Scherzando
    Duration
    00:26
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  17. 17 Variation 9: Molto vivace 00:24
    Track
    17
    Title
    Variation 9: Molto vivace
    Duration
    00:24
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  18. 18 Variation 10: Scorrevole 00:25
    Track
    18
    Title
    Variation 10: Scorrevole
    Duration
    00:25
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  19. 19 Variation 11: Presto ludovicioso 00:21
    Track
    19
    Title
    Variation 11: Presto ludovicioso
    Duration
    00:21
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  20. 20 Variation 12: Allegro 00:22
    Track
    20
    Title
    Variation 12: Allegro
    Duration
    00:22
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  21. 21 Variation 13: Allegro di galoppo 00:22
    Track
    21
    Title
    Variation 13: Allegro di galoppo
    Duration
    00:22
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  22. 22 Variation 14: L'istesso tempo 00:19
    Track
    22
    Title
    Variation 14: L'istesso tempo
    Duration
    00:19
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  23. 23 Variation 15: Con molta anima 00:35
    Track
    23
    Title
    Variation 15: Con molta anima
    Duration
    00:35
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  24. 24 Variation 16: Slow blues 01:32
    Track
    24
    Title
    Variation 16: Slow blues
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  25. 25 Variation 17: Allegretto con precisione 00:29
    Track
    25
    Title
    Variation 17: Allegretto con precisione
    Duration
    00:29
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  26. 26 Variation 18: Andante appassionato 00:41
    Track
    26
    Title
    Variation 18: Andante appassionato
    Duration
    00:41
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  27. 27 Variation 19: Poco maestoso 00:48
    Track
    27
    Title
    Variation 19: Poco maestoso
    Duration
    00:48
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  28. 28 Variation 20: Moderate blues 00:46
    Track
    28
    Title
    Variation 20: Moderate blues
    Duration
    00:46
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  29. 29 Variation 21: Allegro 00:26
    Track
    29
    Title
    Variation 21: Allegro
    Duration
    00:26
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  30. 30 Variation 22: Lento e mesto 01:33
    Track
    30
    Title
    Variation 22: Lento e mesto
    Duration
    01:33
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  31. 31 Variation 23: Quasi recitativo, con licenza 01:04
    Track
    31
    Title
    Variation 23: Quasi recitativo, con licenza
    Duration
    01:04
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  32. 32 Variation 24: Andantino semplice 00:40
    Track
    32
    Title
    Variation 24: Andantino semplice
    Duration
    00:40
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  33. 33 No. 1. With steady, calm movement 02:45
    Track
    33
    Title
    No. 1. With steady, calm movement
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  34. 34 No. 2. Esultante 02:50
    Track
    34
    Title
    No. 2. Esultante
    Duration
    02:50
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola
  35. 35 One to Tango, Op. 51d 02:55
    Track
    35
    Title
    One to Tango, Op. 51d
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    David Matthews
    Performer
    Laura Mikkola