VINCENT PERSICHETTI: "Poems for Piano," Volume 1, Op. 4 (1947)

Описание: 1) "Unroll the flicker's rousing drum"
2) (@ 01:09): "Soft is the collied night"
3) (@ 02:51): "Gather for festival bright weed and purple shell"
4) (@ 03:37): "Wake subtler dreams, and touch me nigh to tears"
5) (@ 05:28): "Ravished lute, sing to her virgin ears"
6) (@ 06:44): "Whose thin fraud I wink at privily"

Inspired by lines from poetry by Louis Untermeyer, James Elroy Flecker, William Watson (3, 4 & 6) and Robert Fitzgerald (5)

Mirian Conti, piano

from Albany TROY299 (1998)

http://www.albanyrecords.com

The Argentine pianist Mirian Conti enjoys a growing reputation as a musician. Stylistically assured in a wide range of repertoire, Ms. Conti is considered a leading exponent of Spanish music; and her rare ability to communicate passion and excitement when playing contemporary scores has won the admiration of many leading American and Argentine composers, including those included on this disc. She began her musical education in Buenos Aires and completed it at Juilliard in New York. Morton Gould's Pieces of China could best be described as an American's impressions of China. They were first performed in Madison Square Garden for an international event. Volumes 1 and 2 of Persichetti's Poems for Piano were composed in 1947 and the third volume in 1981. The titles of each of the sixteen character pieces are drawn from single lines of various poems, each piece reflects the single line of poetry rather than the poem as a whole. These lines are printed in the booklet. It is most interesting to note that David Diamond was so impressed with Mirian Conti's playing when he heard her at Juilliard that he dedicated his Sonatina No. 2 to her. His earlier Sonatina No. 1 was dedicated to the poet Alfred Kreymborg. Poems of the Sea is one of Ernst Bloch's most often performed piano pieces. A very impressionistic piece, the three movements are: "Waves," "Chanty," and "At Sea."

Contents:
David Diamond, composer
Sonatina No. 1
Mirian Conti, piano

David Diamond, composer
Sonatina No. 2
Mirian Conti, piano

Morton Gould, composer
Pieces of China
Mirian Conti, piano

Vincent Persichetti, composer
Poems for Piano, Vol. 1, Op. 4
Mirian Conti, piano

Vincent Persichetti, composer
Poems for Piano, Vol. 2, Op. 5
Mirian Conti, piano

Vincent Persichetti, composer
Poems for Piano, Vol. 3, Op. 14
Mirian Conti, piano

Ernest Bloch, composer
Poems of the Sea
Mirian Conti, piano

Review:
"There seems to be a plethora of solo piano recordings these days - probably because they are relatively inexpensive to produce. But there are so many fine pianists around (and the presence or lack of name-recognition is utterly meaningless in a world in which hype overshadows and displaces quality) and so much unrecorded repertoire of merit and interest lying dormant that the appetite of the adventurous collector of 20th-century music remains unsated. And so, there is another new release of unfamiliar modern piano music that is beautifully performed and worth knowing....Surprisingly appealing are Morton Gould's late (1985) Pieces of China, described in the program notes as an American's impressions of China. But these six sketches strike me more as a French jazz pianist's impressions of China." (Fanfare)