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Fanfare

This release, titled Tales of the Glen, is based on the folkways and heritage of a particular place, the Glens of Antrim in Northern Ireland. Pianist Anthony Capparelli traveled there ten years ago on a graduate fellowship, pursuing his interest in Celtic storytelling and musical traditions. He lived in the region and was introduced to storyteller Liz Weir—she participates here, along with another Irish storyteller, Colin Unwin. The bulk of the program, however, is for solo piano. In keeping with Capparelli’s passion for the subject, Philip Hammond (b. 1951) is an Irish composer whose music is often inspired by folk songs. Miniatures and Modulations is a suite of short piano works inspired by traditional harp tunes collected by Edward Bunting (1773–1843). Hammond has adapted the harp originals for piano in a charming, delightful way. Pianist Anthony Capparelli has chosen 13 pieces for this program, working with the composer in choosing which ones to include. Their selections cover a wide range of moods from the lyrical to the witty. A particular quality present in much of the suite is playfulness, credit for which goes to both Hammond and Capparelli for bringing this element out. We get two versions of each tune, a literal transcription and Hammond’s more pianistic arrangement.

There is a prior recording of the entire suite (Grand Piano 702) with pianist Michael McHale; it received an enthusiastic review by Jim Svejda in Fanfare 38:6. I can only echo his thoughts on the music: “And on repeated hearings, each of these miniature tone poems—for that’s clearly what they are—also begin to seem all the more profound and original, one of the key symptoms of genuinely important music. Which is not to say that this important music isn’t also a tremendous amount of fun; in fact, a waggish (and very Irish) humor informs many of the works as well.”

The suite is followed by two original piano pieces. Aoife Óg is a brief work dedicated to the young daughter of a friend of the composer’s. It is both playful and lyrical. The booklet gives no indication of the meaning of the title, but Aoife is a Celtic girl’s name that means “beautiful, radiant,” and Óg is attached to a given name to show that it belongs to the younger holder of the name.

The single longest solo work on the program is Forgotten Longing, in which Hammond’s style is very different from everything else here. It is alternately brooding and melancholic, sometimes turbulent. There are hints of Debussy and Ravel in the keyboard writing, but without being imitative. I found this an absorbing eight-minute piece filled with nuance, especially in Capparelli’s compelling performance.

Lasting over 46 minutes, the major work on the disc is Tales from the Sea of Moyle for piano and two narrators—Liz Weir and Colin Unwin collaborated on the work with Hammond and perform them here. Some of the stories are original, some are retellings of Irish legends. There are tales of mystery, loneliness, the powers of nature, and of fairies and ghosts. In each case the music is appropriate for the mood. Although no printed text is provided, the diction of both narrators is perfectly clear, and the balance between piano and speaker is ideal. The words are forwardly presented with the piano either in the background or forward as called for. Both storytellers recite their tales well, but Urwin is the more expressive.

This is an enchanting disc. The notes are very helpful, including well-written summaries of each of the tales. I think general listeners will find enjoyment here, but those of Irish heritage will feel a special resonance.