Products featured here are selected for review by ANDREW EALES
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It’s rare that I include self-published material in the Pianodao Music Library, but I was quick to make an exception for the exceptional Piano Meditations by Knutsford-based pianist and composer Adrian Lord, which I reviewed here a couple of years ago, writing:
“There’s no denying that these pieces want a seat at a crowded table, but nor is there any escaping the point that Lord’s music ascends to a higher altitude than most. And significantly, his pieces are not simply evocative and relaxing to listen to but are no less engaging and rewarding to sit down and play.”
Lord has continued to extend his loyal fan base, and is now back with a new collection, which builds on his approach of blending the aesthetic of Einaudi with a pastel pastoralism redolent of the music of these Isles.
Piano Postcards is now available on CD, streaming services, and as the sumptuous sheet music collection which is the subject of this review…
Ten Postcards…
Piano Postcards introduces ten new compositions, each of them a musical souvenir evoking memories of a place Lord has visited. He tells us,
“I’ve been fortunate to experience so many breathtaking places throughout my life and they’ve certainly proved a strong influence on my piano compositions. I’m excited to share these new compositions and hope that my listeners will be able to picture themselves in these very special locations.”
The scenes portrayed range from a park in Cheshire where the composer wiled away his childhood, to recollections of an unforgettable piano concert in Milan, and holidays in the magical Western Isles of Scotland. His particular love the Great British Outdoors looms large as he invokes images of Llandudno’s Victorian pier, the spa town of Moffat in Scotland, the Peak District, Wainwright Fells and Scottish lochs.
The full list of pieces is:
- Oak Meadow
- Bon Voyage
- Crimson Lake
- Bluebell Dale
- Dark Sky
- On the Beach
- Castle Crag
- Teatro
- Seann Taigh
- Wish You Were Here
Lord’s recording was captured at Potton Hall in Suffolk on their Steinway Model D piano in November 2021; it can be purchased on CD from his website and streamed on Apple Music and Spotify. You can also hear three of the tracks here, performed by the composer:
Picture-Perfect…
If Lord’s music is sublime, the presentation of the sheet music folio is similarly and suitably superb, a gloss card cover concealing 44 pages on cream paper, with outstandingly lucid music engraving interspersed with full-page colour images of the visual “postcards” created by Millie Moth to accompany the music.
These delightful artworks are especially lovely, and also appear in the CD booklet for those purchasing the recording. My copy of the book even arrived with a literal postcard, showing five Millie Moth creations in a montage that reminded me of the five-pence postcards of the Norfolk Broads that I inexplicably treasured as a child.
Back to the book, and it is also blessed with an introductory note presenting each of the ten pieces, outlining the memory it evokes, as well as delivering colour photographs of the composer and his previous publications.
The Piano Postcards sheet music book is clearly a labour of love, and one which seems above criticism. I should however note, for those who are interested in this, that the scores do not include fingering or pedalling suggestions, which are left to the player to determine.
Closing Thoughts
As with his Piano Meditations, Piano Postcards has a wonderfully elevating quality that permeates the stunning production as much as the music itself. Here, again, is a beautiful collection in every sense, and one to genuinely cherish.
I will have no hesitation recommending the publication to players who I teach at around Grades 5-6 level, who will undoubtedly enjoy Lord’s intuitive piano writing, contemporary aesthetic, and evocative musical imagination.
Simply, this is a collection which is not to be missed. To find out more, purchase copies of the CD or sheet music publication, please take a moment to visit Adrian Lord’s website here.
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