William Baines, E. J. Moeran - Piano Music

Eric Parkin, piano

Label: Lyrita
Copyright: 2007 Lyrita Recorded Edition, England
Catalogue number: SRCD.266
UPC/EAN: 5020926026620
Format: CD
Analogue / Digital recording: ADD
Number of discs: 1
Total playing time: 79.26
Price: £ 14.99 (+ postage & packing)

Tracks 1 - 21: Recorded at Decca No. 3, May 1971, Producers: Richard Itter, James Mallinson, Engineers: Arthur Lilley, Trygg Tryggvason, Iain Churches
Tracks 22 - 29: Recorded at Smith Square, 7 April 1970, Producer: David Harvey, Engineers: Kenneth Wilkinson, DG, Peter Van Biene


Although Baines tried his hand at most forms of composition, producing in his teens a massive symphony and copious chamber and vocal works, the piano being always accessible remained his natural medium of expression. He wrote to please himself, happily free of that need to feel justified in the eyes of critics, public and posterity which is the bane of young composers. His music can verge on banality and then as effortlessly touch the sublime with a candour some contemporaries found hard to accept: nobody else, save perhaps Alkan, could have written such disparate pieces as the First and Third Preludes on the very same day ...

"In spite of the fact that Parkin only gives a selection of Moeran’s works and notwithstanding that the sound may not be as clean as the ASV and Priory discs, this is still an important selection. It is fair to say that Parkin consistently understands the depth of Moeran’s music whereas Hunt occasionally seems to miss the ‘Celtic’ nature of some of the pieces. Yet the bottom line is that this is a fine CD and is essential listening for all who claim to be enthusiasts of British piano music ..." John France, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review

"These recordings were made some 35 years ago. At the time of first issue they were revolutionary. The Baines was completely new on the scene. The Moeran had been included with other of the composer’s piano solos on a 1960s vintage mono Lyrita. Those at Wyastone Lee behind the Lyrita rebirth have completely rethought the couplings in their CD reissue schedule. Taking Eric Parkin and some slight stylistic commonalities between the two composers generously brings together most of those two 1970s LPs. This leaves the Moeran cello duos on the shelf for now. The sound is analogue and warm. The digital transfer has not reduced the temperature ... An apt and generous slice of 20th century British piano music magically reflective of two composers one strongly folk-influenced, the other an Art Nouveau impressionist ..." Rob Barnett, www.musicweb-international.com Click here to read the full review


Silverpoints (1920/1) William Baines (1899 - 1922) 6.39
1 1 Labyrinth (A Deep Sea Cave) 2.35
Silverpoints William Baines (1899 - 1922) 6.39
2 2 Water-Pearls 1.01
3 3 The Burning Joss-Stick 2.01
4 4 Floralia 1.02
5 Paradise Gardens (1918/19) William Baines (1899 - 1922) 8.29
Coloured Leaves (1919/20) William Baines (1899 - 1922) 8.36
6 1 Prelude 1.04
7 2 Valse 1.57
8 3 Still Day 3.24
9 4 Purple Heights 2.11
Twilight Pieces (1921) William Baines (1899 - 1922) 7.36
10 1 Twilight Woods (A Fragment) 2.02
11 2 Quietude 2.03
12 3 A Pause for Thought 3.31
Tides (1920/1) William Baines (1899 - 1922) 5.33
13 1 The Lone Wreck 2.25
14 2 Goodnight to Flamboro’ 3.08
Seven Preludes (1919) William Baines (1899 - 1922) 13.23
15 1 Moderately quick (with restrained passion) 1.18
16 2 Slowly, with serenity 3.14
17 3 Very slowly, with devotion 1.02
18 4 Furiously 1.18
19 5 Moderate speed – dreamily ('Poppies gleaming in the moonlight') 3.04
20 6 Quickly 1.12
21 7 Very quickly, with vigour 2.15
22 Stalham River (1921) E. J. Moeran (1894 - 1950) 5.16
23 The White Mountain (1929) E. J. Moeran (1894 - 1950) 2.14
24 Toccata (1921) E. J. Moeran (1894 - 1950) 4.40
25 Prelude (1935) E. J. Moeran (1894 - 1950) 2.53
26 Berceuse (1935) E. J. Moeran (1894 - 1950) 2.28
27 Bank Holiday (1925) E. J. Moeran (1894 - 1950) 2.12
Two Legends (1923) E. J. Moeran (1894 - 1950) 9.16
28 A Folk Story 3.45
29 Rune 5.31