Phillip Ramey: Piano Music, Volume Three: 1960-2010
The piano music of the American composer Phillip Ramey (b. 1939) is rooted in the motoric athleticism of Prokofiev and Bartók, seasoned with sober lyricism, spicy modernist dissonance and a fresh approach to the grand Romantic gesture. Covering a span of half a century, this third Toccata Classics album includes the vivacious early Suite, the sparkling Toccata Giocosa, the atmospheric Slavic Rhapsody, the parodistic Burlesque-Paraphrase on a Theme of Stephen Foster and the exotic Djebel Bani (A Saharan Meditation), concluding with the virtuosic, highly dramatic Sixth Sonata.
Stephen Gosling, piano
Listen To This Recording:
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Suite (1960-63; rev. 1988)
- I. Prelude (Allegro)
- II. Aria (Andante con moto)
- III. Scherzo (Allegro moderato)
- IV. Homage to Gershwin (Andantino)
- V. Evocation (Adagio cantabile)
- VI. March (Allegro moderato)
- VII. Ballade (Adagio)
- VIII. Burlesque (Allegro)
- IX. Hymn à la russe (Andante con moto; Grandioso)
- X. Toccata (Allegro con spirito)
- I. Moderato enigmatico
- II. Moderato barbaro
- Toccata Giocosa (1966)
- Slavic Rhapsody (The Novgorod Kremlin at Night) (2009-10)
- Burlesque-Paraphrase on a Theme of Stephen Foster (1990)
- Bagatelle on ‘Dies Irae’ (2010)
- Djebel Bani (A Saharan Meditation) (2009)
- Blue Phantom (2008)
- Piano Sonata No. 6 (Sonata-Fantasia) (2008): Moderato; Allegro; Interlude 1 (Adagio sognando); Moderato; Allegro; Interlude 2 (Andante serioso); Adagio; Grandioso
Two Short Pieces (1967)
MusicWeb International :
‘This very well stocked CD sees the return of Stephen Gosling, after Mirian Conti’s interim on volume 2. Gosling’s fascinating recital consists of three major works – the Suite, Sonata no.6 and the Slavic Rhapsody – and a number of shorter, but not necessarily slight, pieces, a pattern that mirrors the earlier volumes. All are premiere recordings, made in the presence of the composer. […]
Factor in Sheffield-born Gosling’s expressive, nuanced pianism, necessarily coupled at times with outstanding virtuosity – the Slavic Rhapsody is a good wheat-from-chaff sorter – and this CD commends itself at the very least to all students and admirers of 20th century piano music.
Recording quality is very good. The booklet has excellent detail, even including musical examples, and is well written by Benjamin Folkman. Roll on volume 4, and the Third and Seventh Sonatas.’
—Byzantion, MusicWeb International