Listeners who already know and love Irish pianist Míceál O'Rourke's landmark recordings of John Field's 18 Nocturnes or his exceptional recordings of his six piano concertos will have to hear this two-disc set of O'Rourke's recordings of the same composer's four sonatas plus 17 other works for the piano. The same level of compositional skill is evident in all Field's work no matter what the genre. The Irish composer clearly knew how to make a piano sing, and the sonatas on the first disc prove as structurally cogent and ...
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Listeners who already know and love Irish pianist Míceál O'Rourke's landmark recordings of John Field's 18 Nocturnes or his exceptional recordings of his six piano concertos will have to hear this two-disc set of O'Rourke's recordings of the same composer's four sonatas plus 17 other works for the piano. The same level of compositional skill is evident in all Field's work no matter what the genre. The Irish composer clearly knew how to make a piano sing, and the sonatas on the first disc prove as structurally cogent and convincing as the concerto. The same cannot be said of the lighter pieces on the second disc, but since his Irish Dance, Chanson russe variée, and Sehnsuchtswalzer were hardly intended to scale the same musical or emotional heights as the sonatas, this cannot be held against them. As in his other Field recordings, O'Rourke is a fervent believer in the music. With agile fingers, a firm touch, and light use of the sustain pedal, O'Rourke is well equipped for the works' technical...
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