Seria Ludo – Piano music by Graham Lynch
English composer Graham Lynch (b. 1957) is a master of his craft, a composer whose writing is exceptionally detailed, with specific articulations and layerings; not designed for show, but for better expressing the subject matter of his works, many of which are highly impressionist. Much of his work also refers to the baroque French composers such as Couperin, a particular subject of Lynch’s study. The two suites from the White Book series are based on artwork by Sir Christopher Le Brun and other major artists. The music here ranges from a work derived and inspired by the baroque keyboard works of Couperin, through pictoral suites to the flamenco-tango Ay!
The music is played by two American pianists: White Book 2 is performed by Albert Kim who gave the US premiere in 2018. He was a Carnegie Hall Rising Star and has performed widely throughout the US and China, currently Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Central Missouri.
The rest of the program is presented by Paul Sánchez, a Fulbright Fellow (2005-2007) and New Piano Collective artist whose concerts and recordings have amassed generous praise: “one of the most beautiful discs in my collection..” – Fanfare; one of his discs reached No. 1 on the Billboard Traditional Album chart.
Track Listing
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Graham Lynch (b.1957):
- White Book 3 - I. Seria Ludo (2:17)
- White Book 3 - II. The Hesperides (4:42)
- White Book 3 - III. Glow (2:20)
- White Book 3 - IV. The Rhine (8:50)
- White Book 3 - V. Landscapes with Angels (4:53)
- Absolute Inwardness (9:13)
- The Couperin Sketchbooks (9:26)
- White Book 2 - I. Undiscovered Islands (3:15)
- White Book 2 - II. Night Journey to Cordoba (5:18)
- White Book 2 - III. Dragon (4:26)
- White Book 2 - IV. Inner Moon (5:20)
- White Book 2 - V. The Sadness of the King (3:00)
- White Book 2 - VI. Toques (3:19)
- Ay! (10:04)
Reviews
“This is fine piano playing. The cleverness is in making what is complex music sound simple; it’s both accessible and detailed, and it creates atmosphere.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“From the first note to the last, listeners to this new release are drawn into the unique and distinctive sound world of the piano music of Graham Lynch. Music of the highest integrity, rich in imagination and harmonic, melodic and rhythmic innovation. A very welcome addition to the catalogue of one of the most original voices in 21st century British music.
” —Christopher Baxter
“A superb introduction to Lynch’s pianistic output. This is a remarkable, and satisfying, disc of Graham Lynch’s engrossing piano music… compositionally fascinating… sometimes ravishing harmonies. Throughout, it is evident that Sanchez enjoys complete resonance with Lynch’s output; there is the most blissful sense of comprehension, of melding even, in these performances.
” —Colin Clarke
“This is an appealing CD. All the music here is accessible, well-written and musically rewarding. The performance is bewitching from start to finish. The sound is ideal.
” —John France