Soyeon Lee - Keyboard Sonatas 8 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Liszt's five transcriptions and arrangements of works by Gounod date from the 1860s. The Hymne à Sainte Cécile was written in 1865 and dedicated to the violinist Delphin Alard. Gounod made various arrangements of the piece, which was originally scored for solo violin, with an orchestra of wind instruments, timpani, harp and double bass. He later devised a version of the work replacing the violin solo with a soprano, with the words of the Ave verum. Liszt's elaboration of the piece was written in 1866.

Muzio Clementi was born four years before Mozart and outlived Beethoven by the same span. His legacy to pianists as a composer and teacher was a significant one, introducing new virtuosity and exploring the expressive possibilities of the piano, a recently developed instrument. Clementi dedicated his youthful Op. 1 sonatas to his benefactor Peter Beckford, and the brilliant Sonata in F major, Op. 24, No. 1 is the partner work to Op. 24, No. 2 played in the famous contest between Clementi and Mozart. In her recording of Scarlatti's Keyboard Sonatas Soyeon Kate Lee 'applies her playful imagination to each one, polishing it into a unique gem.' (The Whole Note).

On her new album, Fragile as Humans - written and recorded as her time living in the UK was coming to a close - Emily Barker turns her lyrical gaze inwards. The expansive themes of her previous album A Dark Murmuration of Words are replaced by an empathetic concern for matters more personal, familial, closer to home. The ten songs take us on a deep dive into the human condition, an unflinching self-examination of grief, pain, loneliness and loss, at the same time sparkling with hope and optimism.Luke Potashnick's intricate production puts Emily's expressive voice at the very forefront, exposing it's full emotional range - vulnerable, yet assured - backed by a cinematic sonic palette provided by Richard Causon on keys, Tim Harries on bass and Tom Visser on drums, with Luke himself contributing additional guitars, effects and studio wizardry.