Malcolm Williamson: Chamber Music for Wind & Piano
MALCOLM WILLIAMSON: The uncompromising and divisive Master of the Queen’s Music
Once one of the most widely performed composers of his generation, Malcolm Williamson’s music has since fallen into obscurity. This new recording – featuring 16 world premieres — seeks to redress that balance, offering a fresh perspective on a composer whose work defied easy categorization.
Williamson’s output ranged from bold serial explorations to tuneful lyricism, often within the same piece. His music was lauded for its ingenuity yet suffered from the composer’s refusal to conform to prevailing academic tastes. As Master of the Queen’s Music, he occupied a prestigious position but remained a divisive figure—uncompromising in his artistic voice and unpredictable in both temperament and style.
Drawn from recently uncovered archives, this collection spans nearly five decades of Williamson’s career, from early student works to some of his final compositions. The album includes the Clarinet Trio (1958), a strikingly assured work praised for its “forthright tunefulness” and loose application of serial technique, and the Concerto for Wind Quintet and Two Pianos, Eight Hands (1966), an intricate, often densely chromatic score performed by an extraordinary ensemble of composer-pianists. Other highlights include the ballet-inspired Pas de Quatre (1967), the haunting Pietà (1973) for mezzo-soprano and ensemble—setting texts by Swedish poet Pär Lagerkvist—and the enigmatic Gallery (1966), a set of miniature pieces likely composed for an unknown television project.
These performances, led by pianist and producer Antony Gray, bring Williamson’s music vividly to life, illuminating its rhythmic dynamism, harmonic inventiveness, and sheer expressive range. With the discovery of the Williamson archive in 2023, this recording marks an important step in reintroducing a composer whose legacy deserves reappraisal.
Track Listing
- Gallery: Opening Music 1 (0:17)
- Gallery: Concluding Music A (0:16)
- I. Allegro vivace (1:50)
- II. Variation A (1:55)
- III. Pas de trois (1:57)
- IV. Variation B (1:44)
- V. Pas de deux (2:32)
- VI. Coda (2:36)
- Vocalise in G (1:20)
- December (from a Year of Birds) (1:35)
- Vocalise in G Minor (3:51)
- I. Poco Lento (3:05)
- II. Allegro – Presto (3:16)
- Gallery: Opening Music 2 (0:24)
- Gallery: Concluding Music B (0:29)
- Pieta (0:27)
- Gallery: Opening Music 3 (0:27)
- Gallery: Sandwich Trailer 2 (0:25)
- Music for Solo Horn (5:27)
- Concerto Fragment (1:26)
- Gallery: Sandwich Trailer 1 (0:19)
- Gallery: Concluding Music C (0:46)
- I. Lento (9:48)
- II. Allegro (2:50)
- III. Lento (7:21)
- IV. Allegro vivo (3:40)
Reviews
“beautifully performed anthology…There are many lovely moments in this always interesting, chameleon-like collection. What comes across is the exceptional quality and musicality of Williamson’s diverse material.
” —Steve Moffatt
““it’s good… [these] are seeing the light of day. … Brittenesque exuberance in the faster music, and the sound of birdsong and long melodic lines redolent of Messiaen in the slow… [in] Pas de deux… clarinettist Neyire Ashworth plays a beautifully long-breathed line over Antony Gray’s rippling piano accompaniment…” 4 Stars
” —Martin Cotton
“This is a thoroughly entertaining release, including a really excellent mix of Willaimson’s chamber music. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the music…
” —Ken Talbot
“a joyful outburst of invention in a brilliantly scored piece of chamber music… You can’t pin him down in this album. Like his personality, his music was often unpredictable. But also, delightfully imaginative, quirky and uncompromising. Excellent performances from pianist Antony Gray and friends.
” —Andrew McGregor
“Spontaneous, impulsive yet calculated, jaunty and spirited yet deeply reflective. A 20th century composer well worth discovering or at least reacquainting yourself with if he’s already part of your musical vernacular.
” —Jean-Yves Duperron
“This recording is a significant attempt to make amends for…neglect and is masterminded…by Antony Gray, who…takes a leading role as pianist on the disc together with a considerable gathering of friends and colleagues who…do Williamson proud.
” —Geraint Lewis
“This disc covering chamber music from over fifty years is…more than welcome as it shows just how wrong has Williamson’s neglect been. Overall the recording is a superb achievement. The technically difficult music receives wholehearted, idiomatic playing from all involved.
” —Paul RW Jackson
“Pianist Antony Gray has assembled a fascinating and enticing issue, generously filled with rarities spanning Williamson’s career. All are impeccably delivered and well worth exploring.
” —Andrew Plant
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