Geoffrey Allen: Complete Piano Sonatas
“A significant contribution to the development of the 20th/21st century piano sonata”
“What is really interesting about Geoffrey’s music is that it looks orthodox on the page initially, but is in fact extremely thought- provoking. He has a unique way of combining the familiar with the unfamiliar: Geoffrey’s music is always extremely well crafted and looks deceptively simple on the page, but as soon as you begin to play any phrase from his works you discover that he is always subtly reinventing the wheel! There is subtle originality, extraordinary variety and colourful fascination in his prolific output for the instrument. The recordings…will unquestionably amount to a significant contribution to the development of the 20th/21st century piano sonata.”
Murray McLachlan
Indeed Allen’s music is of an extraordinarily high standard – and consistency. Sadly, Geof passed away just before recording sessions began; we are sure he would have been immensely (and justifiably) proud to see this set published, carrying also an additional aspect – as a dynamic memorial to a great composer.
Track Listing
- Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 5/24 - I. Allegro assai (9:35)
- Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 5/24 - II. Adagio cantabile (4:29)
- Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 5/24 - III. Moderato (5:04)
- Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14 - I. Salamanca (8:00)
- Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14 - II. Lagrimas de Sangre (6:21)
- Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14 - III. Les Tres Encinas (5:01)
- Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14 - IV. Danzas Sevillanas (9:56)
- Piano Sonata No. 3, op. 25 - I. Moderato delicato (7:47)
- Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 25 - II. Theme and Variations (7:32)
- Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 25 - III. Intermezzo (4:03)
- Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 25 - IV. Rondo Burlesque (3:38)
- Piano Sonata No. 4, Op. 29 (10:00)
- Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 32 - I. Lento molto (7:47)
- Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 32 - II. Prestissimo (1:09)
- Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 32 - III. Poco andante (5:29)
- Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 32 - IV. Allegro giocoso (6:15)
- Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 39 - I. Moderato non troppo (10:08)
- Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 39 - II. Presto (13:58)
- Piano Sonata No. 7, Op. 40 - I. Allegro vivace (7:15)
- Piano Sonata No. 7, Op. 40 - II. Adagio poco sostenuto (5:44)
- Piano Sonata No. 7, Op. 40 - III. Allegro giocoso (6:29)
- Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 46 - I. Tmpo di valzer (6:07)
- Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 46 - II. Presto giocoso (2:48)
- Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 46 - III. Lento (4:51)
- Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 46 - IV. Allegro ma non troppo (6:16)
- Piano Sonata No. 9, Op, 47 - I. Commodo (9:57)
- Piano Sonata No. 9, Op, 47 - II. Largo (4:11)
- Piano Sonata No. 9, Op, 47 - III. Presto ben marcato (2:20)
- Piano Sonata No. 9, Op, 47 - IV. Andante (8:52)
- Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 52 - I. Moderato (10:26)
- Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 52 - II. Allegro giocoso (1:06)
- Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 52 - III. Grave (10:06)
- Piano Sonata No. 11, Op. 55 - I. Lento (6:24)
- Piano Sonata No. 11, Op. 55 - II. Andante cantabile (5:41)
- Piano Sonata No. 11, Op. 55 - III. Vivo come il buffone / IV. Allegro (9:16)
- Piano Sonata No. 12, Op. 66 - I. Allegro inquieto (9:36)
- Piano Sonata No. 12, Op. 66 - II. Largo ma non troppo (5:25)
- Piano Sonata No. 12, Op. 66 - III. Maestoso (8:15)
- Piano Sonata No. 13, Op. 73 - I. Allegro non troppo (6:36)
- Piano Sonata No. 13, Op. 73 - II. Presto (3:13)
- Piano Sonata No. 13, Op. 73 - III. Lento piacevole (5:58)
- Piano Sonata No. 13, Op. 73 - IV. Allegro con fuoco (7:04)
- Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 77 - I. Allegro moderato, sempre rubato (9:10)
- Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 77 - II. Adagietto (5:56)
- Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 77 - III. Allegretto molto espressivo (7:13)
- Rhapzonata, Op. 51 - I. Rhapsody (Over the Moon) (9:39)
- Rhapzonata, Op. 51 - II. Canzonetta (In a Perfumed Garden) (4:33)
- Rhapzonata, Op. 51 - III. Toccata (Only on Wednesday) (4:10)
- Piano Sonata No. 15, Op. 80 - I. Prelude: Lento, sempre sostenuto (4:06)
- Piano Sonata No. 15, Op. 80 - II. Allegro moderato (10:34)
- Piano Sonata No. 15, Op. 80 - III. Andante con moto, ingenuo (8:52)
- Piano Sonata No. 15, Op. 80 - IV. Allegro non troppo, frivolo (4:51)
- Piano Sonata No. 16, Op. 86 (12:59)
- Piano Sonata No. 17, Op. 97 - I. Moderato (8:39)
- Piano Sonata No. 17, Op. 97 - II. Molto lento, di sogno (5:18)
- Piano Sonata No. 17, Op. 97 - III. Allegro giocoso (5:54)
- Piano Sonata No. 17, Op. 97 - IV. Allegro con fuoco (6:24)
Geoffrey Allen:
Reviews
“Murray McLachlan is a wizard of technical piano prowess. More importantly, he reveals an amazing depth of understanding regarding music which though thoroughly attractive, poses multiple questions regarding its formal structures. Geoffrey Allen could not have found a better evangelist of the piano than Murray McLachlan.
” —Alan Cooper
“Premiere recordings of a remarkable set of compositions. Those interested in solo piano music of the post-war era will be rewarded if they seek out these fine performances of Geoffrey Allen’s sonatas. Having heard the discs I believe that he is a significant, if unfamiliar, contributor to the solo piano literature. His music has been exceptionally well served here. There’s plenty of depth in the music, which is consistently of genuine worth. Métier have done Allen proud in terms of presentation. The sound is very satisfactory. The documentation is excellent: Murray McLachlan’s notes are invaluable.
” —John Quinn
“If I encountered any one of these sonatas on a recital program, I would be pleased. Allen’s music is free-form tonal, in the ambiguous way favored by Delius, seasoned by passing dissonance. He mixes traditional harmonies and unstable ones in a way that gives the music some degree of unpredictability.
” —Henery Fogel
“This release is the kind of thing collectors live for: a large body of sophisticated work by a composer with a strong, personal voice, played with understanding and finesse. McLachlan is in total accord with Allen’s muse throughout, sound quality is first rate, and the music itself amounts to a major discovery.
” —Phillip Scott
“It would be hard to find a more sympathetic interpreter than Murray McLachlan. He consistently channels his masterful technique toward musical ends. It’s difficult to pigeonhole Allen’s style [which] at first may evoke Hindemith’s pan-tonal harmonic yet the increasingly full-bodied and sequence-driven piano writing is loquaciously “un-Hindemithian”. [An] excellently engineered and informatively annotated release.
” —Jed Distler
“Allen’s music feels international in tone, upon an English base. The music is tonally based, although fairly freely. There are no weak pieces here: consistency is one of Allen’s strong suits. There is no denying Murray McLachlan’s winning advocacy, each sonata persuasively presented with commendable limpidity, alive to the many nuances of Allen’s unorthodox, not unchallenging pianistic manner. Métier’s recordings are beautifully clear, providing the music with the finest possible platform.
” —Guy Rickards
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