Ireland - Piano Works Volume 2 [Parkin]This is volume 2 of Eric Parkin's take on the solo piano music of John Ireland, and in my mind this is the best of the three discs, also the booklet has that 'days gone by, never to return' look about it, it's a picture of Chelsea Reach, a stretch of the river Thames in London, a wonderfully atmospheric photograph, and completely in line with the music on the disc.
Last month i spoke about volume 1 by Parkin [4th April 2010], and there's gems to be had there for those that truly take the time to listen and digest, likewise there's gems to fall in love with here, i especially like the two opening pieces under the heading 'In Those Days', and on this listening track 12 'Equinox' is especially a tremendous miniature of just over 2 minutes, an evocation of midsummer storms on the Sussex Downs, it begins with a cascade of rippling notes raining down, gentle at first, but developing into a downpour [0:00-1:12], there's slight pauses in those rippling notes, but on the whole they're wonderfully relentless, a stormy tour de force, isn't the piano miniature such a wonderful expressive medium?.
Here's Eric Parkin playing Equinox on YouTube.
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