<\/p>
Works by Gershwin, Still, J Perry, Aaron Jay Kernis, Andrew\u00a0Armstrong<\/p>
Andrew Armstrong (piano)<\/p>
Rubicon RCD1112\u00a0\u00a0 69:06 mins<\/em><\/p> For several years now, evenings at my home have been punctuated with shrieks, tantrums and tears that often only subside well into the night. The children beyond our shared wall probably wouldn\u2019t recognise the structure of Aaron Jay Kernis\u2019s Before Sleep and Dreams<\/em>, which tracks the progress of aspirational bedtime hygiene, with movements including \u2018Play Before Lullaby\u2019 and \u2018Lights Before Sleep\u2019. <\/p> Pianist Andrew Armstrong juxtaposes naivety in simple staccato melodies with concern borne by the parent, depicted in nostalgia-twinged twinkling tunes. Like Debussy\u2019s Children\u2019s Corner<\/em>, the suite can be mined for deeper meaning \u2013 or simply enjoyed as the intended night-time aid. Armstrong\u2019s central Lullaby<\/em> is blissfully calm \u2013 I\u2019ll be certain to turn it up loudly tonight.<\/p> The album title In Blue<\/em> naturally relates to Gershwin\u2019s Rhapsody<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, heard here in the composer\u2019s own arrangement for solo piano. Armstrong\u2019s performance is hugely enjoyable: the iconic clarinet glissandos are featherlight, although I would prefer a little more bite to the sprawling orchestral motif. Two other Gershwin<\/a><\/strong> works are also included: the Three Preludes that foreshadow melodies heard in Porgy and Bess<\/em>, and I Got Rhythm<\/em>. Armstrong shades phrases with a painterly touch; some detail is lost in quieter sections due to the recording.<\/p> Perhaps most interesting is Nadia Boulanger pupil Julia Perry\u2019s minuscule Prelude, which moves through harmonic centres with subtle confidence; Armstrong\u2019s percussive take on the largely chord-based language recommends this lesser-known piece. Similarly, William Grant Still\u2019s rarely heard Three Visions<\/em>\u2013 conjuring apocalyptic horsemen, heavenly lights and luminous peace through shifting styles \u2013 benefits from Armstrong\u2019s Debussyian<\/a><\/strong> approach. \u2018Radiant Pinnacle\u2019 stands out for its shimmering lyricism and Satie-like emblems that bring Gallic charm to this all-American album. By Claire Jackson Published: Thursday, 29 February 2024 at 17:26 PM Works by Gershwin, Still, J Perry, Aaron Jay Kernis, Andrew\u00a0Armstrong Andrew Armstrong (piano) Rubicon RCD1112\u00a0\u00a0 69:06 mins For several years now, evenings at my home have been punctuated with shrieks, tantrums and tears that often only subside well into the night. The children beyond […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":39574,"template":"","categories":[1,84,19],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"2"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/in-blue.jpg",900,900,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/in-blue-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/in-blue-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/in-blue-768x768.jpg",768,768,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/in-blue.jpg",800,800,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/in-blue.jpg",900,900,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/02\/in-blue.jpg",900,900,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Claire Jackson Published: Thursday, 29 February 2024 at 17:26 PM Works by Gershwin, Still, J Perry, Aaron Jay Kernis, Andrew\u00a0Armstrong Andrew Armstrong (piano) Rubicon RCD1112\u00a0\u00a0 69:06 mins For several years now, evenings at my home have been punctuated with shrieks, tantrums and tears that often only subside well into the night. The children beyond…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/39573"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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