Kenneth Hamilton Plays Ronald Stevenson, Volume 1

Kenneth Hamilton

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Cat No: PFCD050

Format Details:

Release Date: 23 September 2016

Label: Prima Facie

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 0654469439026

Genres: Classical

Description
Ronald Stevenson (1928 - 2015) was Scotland's Franz Liszt - a fascinatingly fertile but highly contentious figure in the world of contemporary music - virtuoso composer-pianist, passionate polemicist and cultural crusader.

This is the first of a new series of recordings of Stevenson's piano music by Kenneth Hamilton, a former student and colleague of the composer, who plays his music with passion, colour and conviction. It includes both well-known pieces such as the Fantasy on Britten's Peter Grimes, and several world-premiere recordings.

Stevenson's multifarious musical interests, left wing political leanings and ambitious artistry led him to be labelled by some as a neo-Romantic reactionary, or even as a socialist-realist composer potentially on the wrong side of the cold war. But in the wake of his recent death, we can now see him more clearly as a post-modernist born before his time, producing music of direct emotional intensity, vigour and imagination.

Best known for his magisterial Passacaglia on DSCH, Stevenson retained a defiantly distinctive voice within an encyclopaedic range of styles, from show tunes to serialism, folk music to fugues. His ability to exploit keyboard colour was equally remarkable, producing some of the most intriguing piano music of the 20th century.

Described after a concerto performance as "an outstanding virtuoso - one of the finest players of his generation" (Moscow Kommersant), by the New York Times as a performer "of energy and wit", and by Tom Service in The Guardian as "an all-round virtuoso", Kenneth Hamilton performs worldwide as a recitalist, concerto soloist and broadcaster. He has appeared on radio and television in Britain, the US, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, China, Singapore and Russia, and is a familiar presence on BBC Radio 3. He is also well known as a writer on pianists and pianism. His last book, After the Golden Age: Romantic Pianism and Modern Performance (Oxford University Press) was welcomed as "full of wit and interest, and written with passion" by Charles Rosen in The Times Literary Supplement and as "a wonderful book" in The Guardian. His next release for Prima Facie will be Back to Bach: Tributes and Transcriptions by Liszt, Busoni and Rachmaninov.

Reviews

"(4 stars) Hamilton brings exactly the right degree of control to the unstoppable streams of musical ideas, without ever compromising their energy or technical brilliance." --Andrew Clements, The Guardian

"Played with understanding and brilliance...An excellent starting point for anyone new to Stevenson's music." --Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 Record Review

"All the pieces are tackled with real passion. This is an unmissable disc, and one waits impatiently for Volume Two." --Colin Clarke, Fanfare

"A splendid introduction to those unfamiliar with this composerâ€¦Strongly Recommended." --Guy Rickards, Musical Opinion

"Kenneth Hamilton is quite magnificent...One marvels at Stevenson's creative genius, particularly in performances as fine as these." --Bruce Reader, The Classical Reviewer

"This is a lovely recital...Kenneth Hamilton is completely in tune with Ronald Stevenson's style, and fully equal to the bravura demands of the music." --Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill

"Hamilton has both the insight and the facility to bring every corner of his teacher's music to life. The recording is a pure joy to hear." --Adam Fergler, Without Barlines
Tracklisting