The linking factor between the works on this unusual and welcome disc is the pianist Trevor Barnard’s former teacher, Herbert Fryer. Among Fryer’s other pupils was the young Arthur Bliss; and back in 1900, Fryer himself had been deeply influenced by a masterclass with Busoni.Barnard, a British-born pianist who is now a music faculty lecturer at the University of Melbourne, has an evident enthusiasm for both works. They compliment each other very well as a programme, bearing similarities – virtuoso demands and often complex harmonic language – but contrasting in structure. Busoni’s 24 Preludes follow the 24 keys in the same sequence as Chopin and Rachmaninoff’s sets of preludes and present inventive, well-varied pieces set within Busoni’s generally rugged pianistic style; less immediately appealing than those peer-group preludes, they could nevertheless find a healthy place on concert programmes as a suitable alternative.The neglect of the Bliss sonata is perhaps more difficult to understand as this is a tremendous piece, its three movements full of dynamic argument, rhetoric and élan. Barnard’s playing is full-bodied, with generous pedal, a weighty tone and a fine ability to control atmosphere and emotional temperature; he might have benefited from sound quality which allows the details to emerge more sharply, however.Performance **** Sound ***
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