James Willshire – Stevenson: Passacaglia on DSCH (2013/2017) [FLAC 24bit/44,1kHz]

Music of extraordinary range and power composed at the dawn of the Space Age, Ronald Stevenson’s ‘Passacaglia on DSCH’ was long claimed as the biggest single stretch of music ever written for piano. It is a veritable world tour of styles as well as a single-minded exploration of its generating motif, and rising star James Willshire, Who received five-star acclaim in 2011 for his Delphian debut disc of music by Rory Boyle, has the technique and vaulting ambition to match both the work’s grandeur and its immense wealth of detail.

Willshire gave the 1955 ‘Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti’ its belated concert premiere just this year, and now commits it to disc as one of a number of premiere recordings. The more recent, and equally substantial ‘Fugue, Variations and Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax’ crystallises Stevenson’s lifelong devotion to a Celtic aesthetic as well as being the foreground for his innovative approach to variation technique. A clutch of shorter works completes the picture, bringing to light some of Stevenson’s less often remarked qualities: charm, exuberance, wit and grace. In 2000, at the age of 15, James was awarded an Educational Scholarship in the London International Piano Competition, the youngest British pianist to be thus recognised. He has performed at festivals throughout the UK and abroad, including the Lichfield, Cheltenham and Winchester Festivals and many more.

“All the works on this disc are stunningly played: the technical difficulties are overcome with boundless skill. Willshire is a tremendous advocate for Stevenson’s music.” (MusicWeb International)

“Willshire’s pianism often evokes Stevenson’s own incisively sprung rhythms and sharp dynamic contrasts” (Gramophone Magazine)

“The surprise is how charming his music can be, when it is not weighed down by his cleverness. He can slyly wrong-foot us with waltzes, or beguile with a serene homage…Bach is a constant presence, as is Stevenson’s hero Busoni…It’s hard to imagine this music better played: Willshire deserves a medal.” (BBC Music Magazine)

Tracklist:
Disc 1 (01:14:46)
1. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 1: Sonata allegro (07:06)
2. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 1: Waltz in Rondo-form (03:06)
3. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 1: Episode 1, Presto (00:29)
4. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 1, Suite: I-VII. — (13:16)
5. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 1, Suite: IX. Pibroch (Lament for Children) (02:42)
6. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 1, Suite: X. Episode 2, Arabesque variations (00:44)
7. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 1, Suite: XI. Nocturne (02:14)
8. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Reverie-fantasy (04:28)
9. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Fanfare – Forebodings. Alarm – Glimpse of a War Vision (02:16)
10. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Variations on Peace, Bread and the Land (1917) (02:19)
11. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Symphonic March (02:13)
12. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Episode 3, Volante scherzoso (00:58)
13. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Fandango (02:05)
14. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Pedal-point “To Emergent Africa” (02:19)
15. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Central Episode. Etudes (04:00)
16. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Variations in C Minor (03:35)
17. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 2: Adagio. Tribute to Bach (01:48)
18. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 3, Triple Fugue over Ground Bass: Subject 1, Andamento (06:00)
19. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 3, Triple Fugue over Ground Bass: Subject 2, BACH (06:50)
20. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 3, Triple Fugue over Ground Bass: Subject 3, Dies Irae (06:18)

Disc 2 (01:05:29)
1. Passacaglia on DSCH, Pt. 3: Final Variations on Theme Derived from Ground. Adagissimo barocco (10:30)
2. Promenade Pastorale (02:58)
3. Waltzes (08:24)
4. Fugue, Variations & Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax: I. Fugue Without Protocol (Tema locriano) (04:58)
5. Fugue, Variations & Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax: I. Transition to Movement II (01:25)
6. Fugue, Variations & Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax: IIa. Intermezzo-notturNo. Omaggio a John Field (01:23)
7. Fugue, Variations & Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax: IIb. Alla giga (00:44)
8. Fugue, Variations & Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax: IIc. Marcia funebre (Lento ma con moto) (01:20)
9. Fugue, Variations & Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax: IId. Allegro quasi feroce (01:00)
10. Fugue, Variations & Epilogue on a Theme by Arnold Bax: III. Epilogue (05:54)
11. Nocturne “Homage to John Field” (05:58)
12. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Tema. Moviemento di sarabanda – Riflessione del tema – Transizione (01:17)
13. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 1, Con moto amabile (00:22)
14. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 2 (00:19)
15. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 3, Più mosso (Circa allegro) (00:20)
16. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 4, Poco meno mosso (00:22)
17. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 5 (00:31)
18. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 6, Sostenuto solenne (01:13)
19. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 7, Alla marcia, molto moderato e quasi automa (01:00)
20. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 8, Andante cantabile (00:54)
21. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 9, Un po’ più mosso (Moderato) (00:26)
22. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 10, Allegretto squisito (00:28)
23. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 11, Alla siciliana (Allegretto grazioso) (00:30)
24. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 12, Alla barcarolla (01:02)
25. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 13, Alla tarantella (00:23)
26. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 14, Allegro (01:48)
27. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 15, Sostenuto (00:32)
28. Variations on a Theme of Pizzetti: Var. 16 (02:03)
29. Piano Sonatina No. 2: I. Adagietto (03:10)
30. Piano Sonatina No. 2: II. Allegro (04:15)

Download:

mqs.link_JamesWillshireStevens0nPassacaglia0nDSCH201320172448.part1.rar
mqs.link_JamesWillshireStevens0nPassacaglia0nDSCH201320172448.part2.rar

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