Collected Piano Pieces

ISBN-13: 9780193736948 / Angielski / Miękka / 1996 / 52 str.

UK Oxfor UK Oxford Univ. iversity

Opis

Fifty-five short pieces, the earliest of which dates from 1967, the most recent from 1993. Taken as a whole, this selection of pieces (chosen by the composer) provides a rich overview of the keyboard music of one of Britain's most original and fascinating composers.

Recenzje

Skempton's harmony is nothing if not explicit, and precise, and he wrings maximum effect from a pared minimum of matter. This music is Irreduciblist. The pieces contain nothing they do not need, and nothing could be subtracted without loss. There's no rhetoric, no bravura display, no smokescreen of Postmodern irony, no false naivety. Skempton composes essences, and they go straight to the heart.

O autorze

Born in Chester in 1947, Howard Skempton has worked as a composer, accordionist, and music publisher. Renowned for the distinctive clarity of his musical language, he has composed over 300 pieces, many of which are miniatures for solo piano or accordion. His orchestral and instrumental works have been recorded by, among others, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Bash. In recent years, Skempton has concentrated increasingly on writing vocal and choral music; his choral commissions include works for the BBC Singers and the Belfast Philharmonic Society. He is currently an Honorary Professor of Music at De Montfort University.