David Johnson Solo Piano Music: Unfamiliar and Appealing

David Johnson was an important figure in Scottish music. He did ground-breaking research into 18th Century Scottish folk music. His work established links between folk and classical music of the period. 

Johnson was responsible for reviving several early Scottish composers of the era. And as an instrumentalist and concert promoter, he brought this music to the public. 

Johnson was also a prolific composer, although his music isn't well-known. This album collects the twelve preludes and fugues Johnson wrote in the 1990s. He was a research fellow at the time. The initial pieces were written as one-offs. 

But as time went on, Johnson came to think of them as a series. He composed the later installments with that concept in mind. The pieces all share a common four-note motif. -- B-flat, B natural, E and A. In Germanic spelling, B natural is "H." It allowed Bach to spell out his name musically. And it allowed Johnson to reference Bheatha -- the Gaelic word for life. 

This is a fascinating collection of pieces. Some are quite simple. Others sound challenging to play. Johnson writes in a primarily tonal style. But that doesn't limit him to simple harmonies. 

Christopher Guild has a strong background playing Scottish classical music. And that experience informs his playing here. Johnson often referenced Scottish music in these pieces. Guild ensures they're played with the proper phrasing and rhythmic bounce.

Charming, witty, and thought-provoking. 

David Johnson: 12 Preludes and Fugues for solo piano
Christopher Guild, piano
Divine Art

Tingyue Jiang Bring Fire to Henry Litolff Piano Music

Henry Litolff was a larger-than-life piano virtuoso. At least, that was his reputation. He had impressive technique (it even impressed Franz Liszt). And he was something of a ladies' man with his wild, flowing hair (and married four times). As a publisher the Collection Litolff was highly regarded -- and remains so as part of Edition Peters. 

Litlolff composed over 125 works, plus eleven operas. But today, only a single work -- the scherzo from his Fourth Concerto Symphonie -- remains in the repertoire. Hopefully, this new series from Toccata Classics will change that. 

Pianist Tingyue Jiang makes her debut with an album of world recording premieres. I love it. Jiang has the technique to play anything Litolff composed. And some of these piano works are quite challenging. 

But she also has the musicianship to make sense of it all. It turns out that Litolff had a gift for melody. Each of these piano miniatures is beautifully composed. The melodies are lyrical and attractive to the ear. Well, he did write eleven operas after all. 

Jiang makes each piece shine. There's never a question about what's foreground and what's background material. And she lovingly shapes each phrase. It maximizes the emotional impact of each melody. And that makes this release a joy to listen to from start to finish. 

Henry Litolff was a prolific composer, so there's a lot of material left to cover. I'm definitely looking forward to volume two. Litnolff has a unique compositional voice. It's one that bears reexamining.

Henry Litolff: Piano Music, Volume One
Tingyue Jiang, piano
Toccata Classics