Ronald Stevenson: Music for Accordion
Ronald Stevenson (1928–2015) is best remembered for his huge output of music for the piano, an instrument he played with a rare understanding of tonal colour. It was thus entirely within character that he responded enthusiastically to the opportunity to explore the musical possibilities of the accordion, most impressively in a ‘Dance Poem’ of some scale. Stevenson was also an inveterate transcriber, producing hundreds of piano versions of pieces written for other forces. Neil Sutcliffe here returns the compliment, transcribing one of Stevenson’s own piano works and five of his songs for accordion, pulling the classical world and Scottish traditional music a little closer together.
Neil Sutcliffe, accordion
Michae O’Rourke, percussion
Rosie Lavery, soprano
Listen To This Recording:
The Harlot’s House: Dance Poem after Oscar Wilde (1988) (32:59)
- Recitation: The Harlot’s House (1:58)
- I. Lento, senza misura (1:49)
- II. Andante (1:24)
- III. Tempo di Valse – (1:15)
- IV. Ragtime (2:08)
- V. Andante (3:03)
- VI. Molto moderato (2:21)
- VII. Sarabanda con maesta (2:10)
- VIII. Tranquillo con moto (3:10)
- IX. Habanera – Tango (2:29)
- X. Allegretto (2:07)
- XI. Totentanz (2:24)
- XII. Lento assai (1:22)
- XIII. Tempo di valse (2:02)
- XIV. Lento ma con moto (3:17)
South Uist (Hebridean) Folk-Song Suite (1969) (10:00)
transcr. Neil Sutcliffe
- I. Sailing Song (1:01)
- II. A Witching Song for the Milking (1:41)
- III. A Little Mouth Music (1:06)
- IV. Waulking Song (1:32)
- V. Spinning Song (0:44)
- VI. A Tired Mother’s Lullaby (2:17)
- VIII. The Christ Child’s Lullaby (1:39)
Five Songs (7:35)
transcr. Neil Sutcliffe
- Bubblyjock (1966) (1:15)
- The Rose of All the World (c. 1966) (1:00)
- The Buckie Braes (1965) (1:47)
- Hallowe’en Sang (1965) (1:44)
- Day is Düne (1965) (1:49)
A Celtic Cycle (1984-88) (10:33)
- I. Celtic Lovesong: The Light and Dark of Love (4:13)
- II. Celtic Lullaby (3:19)
- III. Peaceful March of the Ever Young (3:01)
First Recordings
Classical Music Daily :
‘This lovely and introspective recording presents an interesting sidelight to Stevenson’s creativity. […]
The performance here is amazing from both instrumentalists and the sonic visions they create are remarkable and subtle. Neil Sutcliffe on accordion is a superb musician with a truly great sense of musical rhythm which results is beautiful and moving phrasing.
In a word, Michael O’Rourke is a wonderful percussionist. The blend of the accordion and percussion is ideal and one can only imagine the care and concern that went into the preparation. […]
Neil Sutcliffe also displays his talents as a transcriber making versions for the accordion of Stevenson’s South Uist (Hebridean) Folk-Song Suite (1969) and further five songs from Stevenson’s voluminous catalogue. They are beautifully done and Sutcliffe is joined for the song transcriptions by the wonderful soprano Rosie Lavery. Her tone is beautiful with controlled vibrato and she presents a lovely interpretation of these exquisite songs.
The excellent booklet even provides translations for the Scots words used in the text. […]
I find [The Celtic Cycle] enchanting and subtle to the point of iridescent lucidity.
Enjoy these beautiful works, beautifully performed, but enjoy them in quiet, in simple immobility though perhaps with a soothing libation.’
—Esdras Mugatik, Classical Music Daily