Prolific composers often bank on the sheer volume of their work to guarantee immortality, but even with hundreds of works and numerous collections to his credit, Thomas Pitfield remains one of the most neglected of modern British composers. This is a pity, since much of his music is well-crafted and delightful; and though Pitfield was less than original in his style -- often deriving inspiration from his continental contemporaries -- his work was technically accomplished and more than a little diverting in its verve and ...
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Prolific composers often bank on the sheer volume of their work to guarantee immortality, but even with hundreds of works and numerous collections to his credit, Thomas Pitfield remains one of the most neglected of modern British composers. This is a pity, since much of his music is well-crafted and delightful; and though Pitfield was less than original in his style -- often deriving inspiration from his continental contemporaries -- his work was technically accomplished and more than a little diverting in its verve and color. This 2005 Naxos release is an agreeable introduction to Pitfield's impressive but under-recorded oeuvre, and features examples of some of his most substantial works. The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor is a light and engaging showpiece, plainly indebted to Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major in its flavor and presentation, yet gentler in expression, and considerably simpler in its keyboard part. Anthony Gladstone plays the solo with conviction and vitality, and brings a percussive...
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