Michael Tippett: The Four Piano Sonatas

1. Piano Sonata No. 1
Composed by Michael Tippett
with Paul Crossley

2. Piano Sonata No. 3
Composed by Michael Tippett
with Paul Crossley

3. Piano Sonata No. 4
Composed by Michael Tippett
with Paul Crossley

4. Piano Sonata No. 2
Composed by Michael Tippett
with Paul Crossley

Customer Reviews:

Great performances of some mostly great music.......2006-01-01

The late Michael Tippett (1905-1998) had one of the most instantly recognisable musical voices of the twentieth century. Although his stylistic concerns may have shifted radically from the radiant, tonally-inflected lyricism of the Concerto for Double String Orchestra to the thorny and ascetic Concerto for Orchestra (and the opera King Priam), the intense and passionate vein of ecstatic musical lines never left his music. This box set collects most of his major orchestral works (with the unfortunate exception of The Rose Lake), and the first three of his piano sonatas and string quartets. Firstly, the performances are universally excellent (all the artists being long associated with Tippett's music). Mention must be made of Sir Marriner's passionate and wonderfully- nuanced reading of the always enjoyable Fantasia Concertante, and Colin Davis' energetic and joyous interpretations of the first three symphonies. He makes the diffuse and poorly- constructed Third Symphony seem more logical than the only rival recording- Hickox on Chandos. Heather Harper, whilst no Blues singer, gives a valiant effort to articulate Tippett's frankly vulgar Blues songs, interpolated between quotes from Beethoven's 9th. Solti's recording of the 4th symphony is everything you'd expect from CSO in the late seventies: power, virtuosity and that famous sheen that obviously inspired Tippett to write the work for them. Unfortunately, the "breathing effect" is a disastrous failure, sounding like a dying bronchitis patient, rather than the "gently breathing" sounds presumably intended by the composer. The first three Piano Sonatas are played beautifully by Paul Crossley, making the most elegant case possible for the average first and second sonatas. The third, truly a great work, is given an electric reading. The string quartets, played by the Lindsay Quartet are also given dynamic, thoughtful performances, the second and third quartets containing some of Tippett's most inspired counterpoint.
All in all, a set well worth investigating, if you do not have any orchestral/instrumental Tippett in your collection, though not every work on here is of the highest compositional quality.

Michael Tippett: The Four Piano Sonatas - Paul Crossley

Average customer rating:

Michael Tippett: The Four Piano Sonatas - Paul Crossley

Manufacturer: Crd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000044G7
Release Date: 1994-04-05

Average customer rating:

Tippett: The Four Piano Sonatas
Paul Crossley
Manufacturer: Crd Records/Premiere
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000023XZC
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Poetic Justice

Verdi: Simon Boccanegra - New Zealand Festival 2000 Production

The World Of Nat King Cole

Music: I Can Dance

Very Best of the Checkers: White Cliffs of Dover

Watching You [Import]

Worldbeat

The Kiss: Music for Love and Passion

Way Beyond Nashville [Import]

The Beatles [Box set]

Valentine Wheels

Turns On, Vol. 2 [Live]

Umbersun

Songs of Faith

The Best of Richard Elliot