Composer: Daniel Jones
Performer: Martin Jones
Number of Discs: 4
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Lyrita
Catalogue: SRCD2396
Release: 2022
Size: 700 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
01. Prelude in D Minor for Piano
Divertimento for Piano
02. I. Allegro giocoso
03. II. Andante
04. III. Allegretto giocoso
Piano Suite No. 6 in E Major “Academic”
05. I. Lento mà non troppo – Allegro
06. II. Lento con grazia
07. III. Allegro barbaro
08. IV. Theme & Variations
2 Concert Studies
09. No. 1 in D Major, Andante – Vivace
10. No. 2 in F-Sharp Minor
CD 02
01. Prelude in D Major for Piano
02. Thema con variazioni in D-Flat Major for Piano
03. Capriccio in E Major for Piano
04. Fantasia in B Major for Piano
05. Fantasia in E-Flat Major for Piano
06. Legend
Sonatina in A Minor
07. I. Tragico con moto
08. II. Thema con variazioni
3 Caprices for Piano
09. No. 1 in B-Flat Minor
10. No. 2 in G Major, Andante con moto
11. No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Allegro ma non troppo
CD 03
01. Prelude in C Major for Piano
02. Theme, Variations & Fugue in C-Sharp Minor for Piano
4 Piano Preludes
03.No. 1 in A Major, Adagio maestoso
04.No. 2 in D-Flat Major, Moderato
05.No. 3 in D Major, Allegretto
06.No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Lento moderato
07. Romance in G Minor for Piano
3 Old Pieces for Piano
08. No. 1, Ballade
09. No. 2, Melodie
10. No. 3, Humoreske
CD 04
01. Fantasia in E-Flat Minor for Piano
Piano Suite No. 8 in B-Flat Major
02. I. Prelude
03. II. Scherzo
04. III. Theme & Variations
05. IV. Finale
06. Lento malinconico for Piano
Piano Sonata No. 6 in C-Sharp Minor
07. I. Molto sostenuto – Allegro
08. II. Lento
09. III. Scherzo. Presto
10. IV. Adagio – Allegro man non troppo
11. V. Fuga. Moderato
“The process of writing any piece of music really is one of discovery and the feeling I always have is that what I’m setting myself to write already exists and that what I have to do is unveil it, discover it”. This characterisation by Daniel Jones of the creative process as one of exploration and excavation seems appropriate for a composer whose scores have a powerful sense of rightness and inevitability. His lifelong dedication to music meant that he was unwilling to compromise by diluting it with other work, such as teaching. When he was mischievously accused of never having had a proper job, his response was to tap his manuscript and reply, “This is a proper job”. In fact he undertook a wide variety of roles during his long life, as he once wryly observed: “my career has been a very complicated one. As a matter of fact, it’s a pity I was not divided into several people”.
In 2017 Martin Jones visited the National Library of Wales, and uncovered manuscript scores of these and many other piano works written by the young Dan Jones. “The depth and range of the works presented on this release suggest that Jones was a natural composer for the piano and until his symphonic odyssey had begun, he used this medium, along with that of the string quartet, for some of his most profound utterances”.