BOWEN: Piano Music – Stephen Hough Hyperion

24 Preludes in all major and minor keys Op 102
1
No 1 in C major[1’00]
2
No 2 in C minor[1’51]
3
No 10 in E minor[1’24]
4
No 7 in E flat major[1’41]
5
No 8 in E flat minor[1’50]
6
No 22 in B flat minor[1’12]
7
No 21 in B flat major[2’12]
8
No 15 in G major[1’36]
9
No 16 in G major[2’01]
10
No 6 in D minor[2’42]
11
No 19 in A major[1’49]
12
No 20 in A minor[1’10]
13
No 18 in G sharp minor[1’55]
14
Ballade No 2 Op 87[10’00]
Piano Sonata No 5 in F minor Op 72[22’16]
15
Moderato[9’01]
16
Andante semplice[4’48]
17
Allegro con fuoco – Più lento – Più mosso e con fuoco[8’27]
18
Berceuse Op 83[3’43]
19
Moto perpetuo (Movement 3 of Suite Mignonne, Op 39)[2’43]
20
Toccata in A minor Op 155[4’02]
21
Romance No 1 in G flat major Op 35 No 2[4’03]
22
Romance No 2 in F major Op 45[6’31]

York Bowen ranks as one of the greatest virtuoso pianists England has seen. His vast output of piano compositions stands comparison with that of Rachmaninov and yet has remained largely neglected: he was a figure who wrote the the sort of music he loved – not the new ‘trendy’ music his own generation demanded.

“York Bowen is master of every kind of piano writing, which, great artist that he is, he uses not to the ends of trumpery and empty virtuoso affichage, but to the purposes of the powerful brilliant glowing and rich expression of a very individual beautiful and interesting musical thought … York Bowen is, at the present time, the one English composer whose work can justly be said to be that of a great Master of the instrument, as Rachmaninov was or as Medtner is.” (Sorabji).