Algernon Ashton: Piano Music, Volume One
Algernon Ashton, born in Durham in 1859, is one of the best-kept secrets in British music. His generous output of piano music includes no fewer than eight sonatas, none of them ever recorded before now. Rutland Boughton wrote that Ashton 'seems to pour out great musical thought as easily as the lark trills its delight in cloudland’, and though Ashton’s piano writing, which lies downstream from Chopin and Brahms, is phenomenally difficult, what strikes the ear is its spontaneity and melodic richness.
Daniel Grimwood, piano
Listen To This Recording:
- Nocturne and Menuet, Op. 39 (1888)
- Nocturne (Andantino)
- Menuet (Allegretto)
- I. Allegro soave
- II. Lento: Con gran espressione
- III. Scherzo: Allegro animato
- IV. Finale: Allegro frescamente
- 1. Allegretto amoroso
- 2. Andante cantabile
- 3. Larghetto con gran espressione
- 4. Allegro frescamente
- I. Allegro
- II. Largo assai
- III. Intermezzo: Moderato
- IV. Finale: Allegro, ma non troppo
Sonata No. 8 in F major, Op. 174 (publ. 1926)
Vier Bagatellen, Op. 79 (1892)
Sonata No. 4 in D minor, Op. 164 (publ. 1925)
John France :
“…The playing of these technically challenging works by Daniel Grimwood is superb. The ‘freshness’ and the vitality are always to the fore. He never sentimentalises or strikes a patronising note. He is a successful exponent of this music… The ambience of the recording is ideal with every nuance of the performance being crystal clear. …I would give up a lot of German piano music by the ‘masters’ to possess Algernon Ashton’s sonatas…” MusicWeb International