MP3 Seance On a Wet Afternoon - CLASSICAL: Contemporary

19 short solo piano works by 5 Australian composers written in a wide range of styles, from moody to light to jazzy concluding with 3 convivial mandolin duets, and a work for mezzo soprano & mandolin.

23 MP3 Songs
CLASSICAL: Contemporary, JAZZ: Smooth Jazz

Details:
SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON â JADCD 1107
Works by: Eric Gross, Ray Lemond, Derek Strahan, Robert Allworth, Ann Carr-Boyd. DURATION: 74â02â

The19 short solo piano works by 5 Australian composers featured on this CD are written in a wide range of styles: moody, nostalgic, elegiac to frivolous and jazzy piano tracks The CD concludes with 3 convivial mandolin duets, and a work for mezzo soprano & mandolin set to the famous verse by 19th century English poet Ernest Dowson, âThe Days of Wine and Rosesâ. The atmospheric cover picture is from a photo of gum trees silhouetted against sunset taken by Derek Strahan in the âred centreâ near Uluru during a visit to Central Australia in the Northern Territory. (Photos from the same collection feature on the covers of two other Jade CDs, â JADCD âWinter Solsticeâ JADCD 1108, and Bradgate Park JADCD 1109, both available at CD Baby, and on which more music of Australia composers can be heard.)

The title track (Track 1) written by Allworth in 2005 is his recollection of the somber mood of the 1964 English film drama of that name which starred Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough in a drama about kidnapping.

Ray Lemond plays piano here and on Tracks 2 to 7 which comprise his lighthearted âJAZZABOUT SUITEâ (2005) in 6 short movements, whose titles indicate their style: In the Sun; Proud as a Peacock; Chasing Rainbows; Waltz for Victoria; Baby Blues; Bossy Bossa.

Eric Gross contributes 5 tuneful solo piano pieces (Tracks 8 to 12).
The first two are performed by Ray Lemond:
âRONDINO TRANQUILLOâ (1962) which is a transcription of a piece originally scored for harp.
The delightful âPRELUDE TO PARADISEâ (1977-2005) is a touching musical portrait of the composerâs niece who died at an early age in Pittsburgh, USA. It is written in the form of a melodically graceful Prelude.
(This work can also be heard on another Jade CD titled âPrelude to Paradiseâ JADCD 1105 in two other transcriptions - as orchestrated by the composer, and played by the St. Andrews Cathedral Orchestra, directed by Michael Deasey and in its original form as an organ prelude performed by the late Lawrence Bartlett, also a composer, whose own work is featured on many other Jade CDs, all available at CD Baby).
Also from Gross are three pieces which reveal the composerâs sense of humor in music and all performed by distinguished Australian pianist Sally Mays:
âSALLY IN A MAZEâ - written for her;
âMINUETTO CAPRICCIOSOâ - originally written for harpsichord;
âAN IDYLL FOR IDILâ, a piece written for Turkish pianist Idil Ugur who has given many live performances of works by the composer.

Ray Lemond returns with performances of five elegiac piano works by Allworth (Tracks 13 to 17) the first four performed by Ray Lemond, and the last by Sally Mays.
âREMEMBERING ROBERT STRAUBâ
âREMEMBERING ALAN SPENCEâ
âREVERIE IN MEMORY ALAN SPENCEâ
âNIGHTFALLâ
âAN OASIS IN MOONLIGHTâ which also exists in versions for string orchestra and for string quartet and organ.

Derek Strahanâs âFUGUE FOR A ROGUE ASTEROIDâ for solo Piano (1992) (Track 18) is given by the composer. This fugue is from Pt. 1 of Atlantis Variations for Solo Piano, one of several works written to develop material for inclusion in a proposed cycle of 4 operas suggested by Platoâs account of the rise and fall of Atlantis. The rogue asteroid here depicted is presumed to have been the agent of the global cataclysm which terminated the Quaternary Age. The presence in a fugue of the double invertible theme representing it signifies its fateful link to other heavenly bodies during its trajectory through the galaxy. It is a rogue child of unpredictable character, of changeable habits, easily swayed from its path.

âAtlantis Variations Pt.2 may be heard on âAn Australian Festivalâ (JADCD 1095).
âAtlantis Variations Pt.3 may be heard on âAutumn Rhapsodyâ (JADCD 1096).
âVoodoo Fireâ (JADCD 1063) and âEden In Atlantisâ (JADCD 1074) feature other âAtlantisâ works all available at CD Baby

The next piece âSTARBURSTâ by Ann Carr-Boyd (Track 19) was written to form part of Book II of her major piano work LOOK AT THE STARS. Part 1 can be heard in its entirety on the Jade CD âMUSIC OF ANN CARR-BOYDâ JADCD 1103, performed by John Martin on the new Australian Stuart grand piano. Each movement in this work is a portrait of a different celestial body. In the recently discovered Starburst Galaxy new young stars are formed at an exceptionally fast rate.

The closing track (Track 23) is a setting by Allworth for mezzo soprano & mandolin of the famous verse by 19th century English poet Ernest Dowson, âTHE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSESâ.
âThey are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate
I think they have no portion of us,
After we pass the gate.
They are not long the days of wine and roses,
Out of a misty dream our path emerges for a while,
Then closes with a dream.â

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