Martin Skafte: 24 Preludes for Piano
The fascination of the Swedish composer Martin Skafte (b. 1980) with the 24 Préludes of Claude Debussy inspired 24 preludes from Skafte himself, with occasional oblique references to Debussy’s originals but using Skafte’s own musical language. Like Debussy, Skafte exploits the colours and sonorities of the piano but also he requires Lisztian virtuosity and pulls in a range of further influences, among them ragtime and Ligeti – and a sly sense of humour can often be detected in the background.
Jonas Olsson, piano
Listen To This Recording:
- No. 1 Going Home (… Les sons …)
- No. 2 Now and Again (… Minstrels)
- No. 3 Eloquent Mist (… La danse …)
- No. 4 A Long Winter Season (… Des pas …)
- No. 5 Lines and Timelines (… Danseuses …)
- No. 6 You’re Nothing Without Me! (… La serenade …)
- No. 7 Finding Memory Again (… La fille …)
- No. 8 In Suspense (… Ce q’a…)
- No. 9 Weak Ties (… Le vent…)
- No. 10 Shall we Play? (…Voiles)
- No. 11 A Welcome Break (… Les collines …)
- No. 12 Not Today (… La cathédrale …)
- No. 1 In the Corner (… feuilles mortes …)
- No. 2 The Paths Decide (… Les tierces …)
- No. 3 Leaping Lightly (… les fees …)
- No. 4 Four Steps to the Side (… Brouillards …)
- No. 5 White Wind (… Bruyères …)
- No. 6 Gaia’s Navel (… Ondine …)
- No. 7 Emerging Victorious (… Hommage …)
- No. 8 It’s All Out There (… Canope …)
- No. 9 A Time for Everything (… General Lavine …)
- No. 10 Revisiting (… La Puerta …)
- No. 11 Faded Expectations (… La terrasse …)
- No. 12 One Last Look Back (… Feux …)
Book One (2012–13)
Book Two (2015–17)
FIRST RECORDINGS
Art Music Lounge :
‘What a performance winner 2022 […]
Not a single note or phrase in any of these pieces is wasted or superfluous. […]
This is not just very good music. This is great and significant music, heralding the arrival of a man who, in my opinion, has a superior musical mind and high values to match his talent. I hope and pray that he does not, in the future, compromise his principles to write music that is more “accessible” or “audience-friendly” unless it is something that he himself approves of and responds to. Of all the CDs I’ve reviewed this year, this is truly one of the few really indispensable ones.’
—Lynn René Bayley, Art Music Lounge