Geoffrey Allen: Music for Woodwinds
Geoffrey Allen was born in the UK in 1927 and after studying at Oxford moved to Australia where he set up a music publishing imprint and facilitated recordings of Australian music. He is still very active and is busy with several projects and compositions. His chamber music is widely neo-Romantic and rhapsodic, repeating motifs in different ways, constantly evading fixed tonality but retaining a soft and mellifluous melodic flow. Thus: his music is distinctive and strongly constructed but very attractive – post-modernist in the best sense. This collection of woodwind works begins with the 1964 Bassoon Sonata – more edgy, redolent of Prokofiev or Hindemith – through to the 2007 Fantasy Trio, polytonal, rhapsodic with beautiful textures. All works are receiving their first commercial recording.
The four musicians are among Australian’s finest – among many other activities, Waye and Meyer are principals with the West Australian Symphony; Walpole is an internationally-known freelance and Wickham is acknowledged to be among Australia’s most pre-eminent accompanists.
Track Listing
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Geoffrey Allen (b.1927):
- Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Op. 9 - I. Allegro ma non troppo (5:26)
- Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Op. 9 - II. Lento-Allegro scherzando-Andante all marcia-Tempo I (6:12)
- Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Op. 9 - III. Allegro con spirito (3:17)
- Outback Sketches, for clarinet and piano, Op. 58 - I. Aubade (6:43)
- Outback Sketches, for clarinet and piano, Op. 58 - II. Desert Noon (6:10)
- Outback Sketches, for clarinet and piano, Op. 58 - III. Bush Sundown (5:56)
- Pastorale, for bassoon and piano, Op. 34 No. 1 (2:23)
- Sonatina for Bassoon and Piano, Op. 34 No. 2 - I. Moderato ma con affretato (3:12)
- Sonatina for Bassoon and Piano, Op. 34 No. 2 - II. Adagietto (2:50)
- Sonatina for Bassoon and Piano, Op. 34 No. 2 - III. Allegro - Appena moderato (4:05)
- Fantasy Trio, for flute, clarinet and piano, Op. 70 - I. Poco andante (5:55)
- Fantasy Trio, for flute, clarinet and piano, Op. 70 - II. Allegro giocoso - Andante (3:06)
- Fantasy Trio, for flute, clarinet and piano, Op. 70 - III. Andante di sogno (5:51)
- Fantasy Trio, for flute, clarinet and piano, Op. 70 - IV. Allegro moderato-Alla marcia-Tempo I-Poco andante (6:03)
Reviews
“Allen wraps attractive lyricism and witty virtuosity in a congenial extended tonality; and he aims to emphasize the best elements of each instrument. The renditions here have good energy.
” —Patrick Hanudel
“A pleasant album… always interesting, the relatively novel sound of the bassoon always a pleasure, warm and quite often almost amusing while the flute and clarinet often add a dreamier feel. A clever mix of easy listening mood music and more intellectual classical.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“The performers are very fine throughout this well-made recording which provides an interesting chance to hear an accomplished composer’s way of handling woodwinds in a modern chamber-music context.
” —Mark Estren
“the perfect ‘sweet spot’ between mood and method… holding the listener’s attention every step of the way… with some very good pieces
” —Lynn René Bayley
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