Voices for Solo Piano - Hanni Liang. Ethel Smyth, Errollyn Wallen, Eleanor Alberga, Sally Beamish, Chen Yi. © 2024 Delphian Records

Spotlight

An Interesting and Varied Release

GEOFF PEARCE recommends Hanni Liang's album of piano music by women composers

'I was very impressed with the originality of this prgramme.'

 

This very interesting recording by fine pianist Hanni Liang features works of women composers. I am familiar with some of the music of two of these - Dame Ethyl Smyth and Sally Beamish, but three are new to me: Errollyn Wallen, Chen Yi and Eleanor Alberga.

Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) is a fascinating composer whose music I have enjoyed for much of my life. When I was young, she was considered, by those that I know, as an interesting eccentric, but most of her work was unknown and unplayed, at least in my region of the world. Somewhere I picked up a copy of a biography which contained many photos of her and a lot of extracts from letters and her own writings, but this was many years before I actually heard any of her music.

Smyth wrote three piano sonatas, all in 1877, her first year studying in Germany. The second one, recorded here, was the result of her meeting someone that she had admired for some time, but upon meeting her, realised that they had little to say to each other.

The first movement starts slowly and rather wistfully with an introduction. This is followed by a much quicker and often tempestous section. One can certainly hear a composer finding her feet in the Germanic tradition of Beethoven and Brahms - especially the latter - and, from time to time, even shades of Mendelssohn.

Listen — Ethel Smyth: Lento assai - Allegro assai - Allegro moderato
(Piano Sonata No 2 in C sharp minor)
(DCD34326 track 1, 4:43-5:33) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

The second movement is quite song-like, but as the accompanying booklet suggests, the modulations might make this somewhat difficult. It gives this movement, like the rest of the sonata, a restless quality.

Listen — Ethel Smyth: II (Piano Sonata No 2 in C sharp minor)
(DCD34326 track 2, 2:12-2:53) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

The final movement begins resolutely, reminding me of both Brahms and Schumann, and yet has a charm all of its own. This is an impressive work for a nineteen-year-old student to produce.

Listen — Ethel Smyth: Presto con brio (Piano Sonata No 2 in C sharp minor)
(DCD34326 track 3, 2:24-3:18) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

The brief piece I Wouldn't Normally Say (2004) by Errollyn Wallen (born 1958) is inspired by memories of playing piano duets with her sister when they were children. The tempo marking for this brief joyful piece is 'From the Hip', which describes this dance-like movement, with many time signature changes, very aptly.

Listen — Errollyn Wallen: I Wouldn't Normally Say
(DCD34326 track 4, 0:01-0:46) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

Ethel Smyth's Variations in D flat major on an Original Theme (of an Exceeding Dismal Nature) was composed in 1878 during a visit to see her friends in England. She had been gently chastised by some of her German friends for spreading her talents and time across many areas. What follows from this are a theme and nine variations. The theme is written in two time signatures, 3/4 and 6/8, meaning that the emphasis can shift from bar to bar. The variations that follow are interesting and innovative, and the original theme is always evident. I particularly like the fourth one, where the composer is depicting a spirited and loved horse that she broke in.

Listen — Ethel Smyth: Allegro à la Phyllis (Variations in D flat major on an Original Theme (of an Exceeding Dismal Nature))
(DCD34326 track 9, 0:00-0:36) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

Sally Beamish, born in 1956, is well known as a viola player as well as a composer. Night Dances is a rather restless work. The booklet gives a very good account of what this work is depicting: the wanting to sleep, the restlessness and anxiety when one can't, and the almost frantic nature at times before the mind and body settle and sleep gradually ensues. I like this piece very much for its imagination and intensity, but also the final feeling of repose.

Listen — Sally Beamish: Night Dances
(DCD34326 track 14, 9:52-10:34) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

Variations on 'Awariguli' by Chen Yi (born 1953) consists of a theme - an Uyghur folksong - then nine variations and a coda. This was composed in 1978 and first premiered by the composer's sister in Beijing in that year. The composer had discoved this folk song in a collection of Chinese folksongs she studied whilst completing her undergraduate degree. I really love this, and it is probably my favourite work on this disc.

Listen — Chen Yi: Variation IV: Sostenuto (Variations on 'Awariguli')
(DCD34326 track 19, 0:49-1:16) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

The variations are interesting and varied, it is quite a beautiful work and the coda is joyous.

Listen — Chen Yi: Coda (Variations on 'Awariguli')
(DCD34326 track 25, 0:33-0:54) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

The British-Jamaican composer Eleanor Alberga wrote Cwicseolfor in 2021 for Isata Kanneh-Mason. The title is an ancient spelling of the word 'quicksilver' (or mercury, as it is also known). The composer was fascinated as a child by the amazing nature of this metal. I have to say that it is also one of my strongest childhood memories. We were given mercury to play with by the dental nurses as a reward for being good during treatment. It is amazing that we were not all poisoned. This work runs for around eleven minutes and is very virtuosic indeed. Anyone who has played with mercury and watched it shimmer and change direction as if it has a life of its own will know exactly what the composer is getting at. I can imagine that both the pianist and piano would be exhausted after this piece.

Listen — Eleanor Alberga: Cwicseolfor
(DCD34326 track 26, 5:16-6:13) ℗ 2024 Delphian Records :

I recommend this album, firstly because of the great musicianship and pianism of Hanni Liang, but also because of her thought in designing an interesting and varied release, the great accompanying notes by Katy Hamilton, the fact that two of the works - those by Sally Beamish and Eleanor Alberga - are premiere recordings, and last but least, the great work of the sound engineer Andreas Neubronner. I was very impressed with this prgramme's originality.

Copyright © 22 October 2024 Geoff Pearce,
Sydney, Australia

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