Composer: Thomas Pitfield
Performer: Peter Donohoe, Anthony Goldstone
Orchestra: Royal Northern College of Music Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Andrew Penny
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Naxos
Catalogue: 8557291
Release: 2005
Size: 178 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor
01. I. Allegro risoluto
02. II. Grave
03. III. Allegro gaiamente
Piano Concerto No. 2, “The Student”
04. I. Dance-Prologue
05. II. Interlude on White Keys
06. III. Air and Variations (the Oak and the Ash)
07. IV. Variation 1
08. V. Variation 2
09. VI. Variation 3
Studies on an English Dance Tune
10. I. Bi-Tonal
11. II. Seven-Eight, Dorian
12. III. Cantabile Melody
13. IV. Major-Minor
14. V. Phrygian
15. VI. Three-Two-Three
16. VII. Octaves
Arietta and Finale
17. Arietta
18. Finale
19. Toccata
Xylophone Sonata
20. I. Introduction
21. II. Intermezzo
22. III. Reel
23. IV. Toccata
Prolific composers often bank on the sheer volume of their work to guarantee immortality, but even with hundreds of works and numerous collections to his credit, Thomas Pitfield remains one of the most neglected of modern British composers. This is a pity, since much of his music is well-crafted and delightful; and though Pitfield was less than original in his style — often deriving inspiration from his continental contemporaries — his work was technically accomplished and more than a little diverting in its verve and color. This 2005 Naxos release is an agreeable introduction to Pitfield’s impressive but under-recorded oeuvre, and features examples of some of his most substantial works. The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor is a light and engaging showpiece, plainly indebted to Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major in its flavor and presentation, yet gentler in expression, and considerably simpler in its keyboard part. Anthony Gladstone plays the solo with conviction and vitality, and brings a percussive edge to the work that keeps it dry and witty. For the Piano Concerto No. 2 and several solo studies and miniatures, pianist Peter Donohoe takes over and presents Pitfield’s music with similar energy and flair, though with what seems a rounder, warmer sound. The Royal Northern College of Music Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Penny, gives solid, if understated, support in the two concertos, but because most of this program is devoted to the unaccompanied piano works, the listener’s attention is necessarily drawn to Donohoe’s performances, more than the others. In the Studies on an English Dance Tune, the Arietta and Finale, and especially in the Toccata, he demonstrates exuberance and humor and makes these clever pieces sound sophisticated and droll, rather like the best piano miniatures by Poulenc. But Donohoe also shows off an unexpected side talent as a percussionist in his crisp reading of the Xylophone Sonata, a tricky piece technically but apparently no hurdle for this versatile musician. Naxos offers its usual fine reproduction and the generous selection of pieces makes this disc a worthwhile collection for anyone curious enough to try the music of a minor but highly productive and ingenious composer.