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International Piano

Two very well-filled discs here, captured live in the excellent acoustic of Manchester’s new Stoller Hall. A student of Lennox Berkeley, McLeod’s piano music dates from 1980 (Four Impromptus, written while still under Berkeley’s tutelage) to 2013. McLachlan is no stranger to McLeod’s music: a 1999 disc on Redbook Records included the first and third piano sonatas.

McLeod’s Hebridean Dances (performed with Rose McLachlan, Murray’s daughter) wear their geographical origin firmly on their sleeve, while his Twelve Preludes reveals formal mastery overarching the set. Haflidi’s Pictures (after Haflidi Halgrimsson) comes into competition with Mark Tanner; both, ideally, should be sought out.

The second disc comprises McLeod’s five piano sonatas (1978-2013) plus the Fantasy in McLachlan’s transcription. From the Liszt-influenced First through the Third (quoting a mass by Scottish Renaissance composer Robert Carver) to the cyclic, magnificent Fifth and the exploratory Fantasy, this is impressive music, persuasively performed.(Four stars awarded)

—Colin Clarke

@divineartrecordingsgroup

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On 10 October, Métier is thrilled to present Michael Finnissy: Organ Works from acclaimed American organist Forrest Eimold! Don't miss Paul Hindmarsh's marvelous new piece in Classical Music Magazine on the importance of Britain's Brass Bands. A great primer for our new release, Discovering Wilfred Heaton! 3️⃣ Tracks from the 3 October release, Discovering Wilfred Heaton, are #nowplaying on Apple Music Classical and more! Don't miss both of our new Métier new releases on Deezer's New Classical Picks Playlist! ▶️ Listen now in our bio link. Today, Métier presents a “monumental” (The Wire) 4-disc box set from pianist Ian Pace in commanding performances of music by composer Michael Finnissy (b. 1946). On all platforms today at listn.fm/finnissypiano Métier Records is thrilled to release “Because They Have Songs” from composer Edward Cowie and featuring Gerard McChrystal and Richard Shaw! Out now on all platforms ▶️ listn.fm/becausetheyhavesongs “This monumental piano release features Michael Finnissy’s Verdi Transcriptions plus English Country-Tunes, and other compositions inspired by 19th century music. Soloist Ian Pace is a leading interpreter of Finnissy’s work, and has played his complete output for piano. Finnissy’s output is prolific, political and complex – he’s a leading late modernist.… luxuriant but challenging textures of the school often called new complexity.” —Andy Hamilton, The Wire Marvelous new MusicWeb International review for Edward Cowie: Because They Have Songs, before its release this Friday! “Buller is a composer who knows how to imbue feelings with ample warmth, colour and tension that keep the ear immersed in his sonic worlds. The musical language is largely tonal, with some roots in sacred choral traditions, yet with sufficient harmonic pungency to provide underpinnings of meaning to Leah Lax’s empathetic, urgent texts in the two extended works.… Conspirare, led by founding Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson, respond to all of Buller’s emotional gestures with utmost cohesion and flexibility, and the soloists – basses Michael Hawes and Simon Barrad and soprano Emily Yocum Black – are first-rate.” —Donald Rosenberg, @gramophonemagazine “This performance will stay with me for a long time; it is both exquisitely beautiful and inherently melancholic.” —Edward Breen, Gramophone on Haitham Haidar's #Zaytoun