Percy Grainger: The Complete Music for Four Hands, Two Pianos
£19.00
Penelope Thwaites, John Lavender, Timothy Young (pianos)
HTGCD 403 – 5060332661725
4 CDs
The music of Percy Grainger (1882–1961) for piano/s four hands ranges from a few intimate duets to a significant body of quasi-orchestral concert works. The great majority were written for two instruments and they exploit this rich resource to the full. Given that almost all were originally works for chamber, orchestral, wind-band or choral forces, pianists have the widest possible range of sound references.
Leading Grainger scholar and performer, Penelope Thwaites, has newly recorded a fourth CD with fellow Australian pianist, Timothy Young, to add to the three existing CDs of Grainger’s music she recorded with John Lavender for the Pearl label in the 1990s. All four CDs contain many world premieres, including the discovery of a youthful piano concerto fragment, and provide a fascinating insight into Grainger’s pianistic output.
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Reviews
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admin –
‘A remarkably wide-ranging guide to the musical enthusiasms, curiosities and pianistic ingenuity of a complex musical personality.’
Andrew MacGregor, BBC Radio 3, CD Review, June 2017
admin –
‘25 years or so ago the Australian pianist [Penelope Thwaites], with John Lavender, recorded three cherished CDs of Grainger’s music and arrangements for four hands… Passion undimmed, along with dexterity, she recently recorded a fourth… Her companion at the keys is now Timothy Young, though the playing’s flair and precision is unchanged.’
Geoff Brown, BBC Music Magazine, February 2017 4* recording
admin –
‘This enterprise is impressive for its authenticity… It is hardly possible to fault this historic set of recordings, another milestone in the legacy of Grainger.’
Vincent Plush, The Australian, December 2016