Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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In the last three years, I have reviewed five collections of intermediate piano music by the UK-based Malaysian piano teacher Angeline Bell, during which time she has quickly established her name as an educational composer. Her accessible pieces have also begun to feature on streaming sites and on the radio, where their warm, relaxing vibe is proving popular.
Bell’s sixth and latest publication is Echoes of the Orient. The score again appears from Editions Musica Ferrum, with cover artwork by Rebecca Harrie to match Bell’s previous Notebooks, but this time there is also a CD recording of the music by upcoming concert artist Katie Yao Morgan on the ARC Music Productions label, distributed by Naxos World.
These pieces were composed with early advanced performers in mind, and evoke Bell’s nostalgic reflections and personal recollections of growing up in East Asia. As such, this is a very different collection to its predecessors, so let’s take a look…
Asian reflections
For more detail on the background of this collection’s genesis, I recommend an article published on the ARC Music Production website, where we read:
“In the summer of 2023, inspired by cherished childhood memories, she began composing autobiographical pieces reflecting her upbringing in Malaysia. Some were influenced by East Asian folk tunes, others by the region’s natural habitat, and a few captured meaningful family moments.
As Echoes of the Orient grew from an idea, Angeline was hit with a disappointing reality. Due to her carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome, she would be unable to perform these pieces with the necessary intensity required of studio sessions. “
Happily, Bell maintains a long-standing friendship with the pianist Katie Yao Morgan, who came to her for lessons as a four-year-old child. Having subsequently studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and later at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the now-adult Morgan agreed to collaborate on the project.
The CD album includes 17 pieces, including two Morgan herself composed, and several that incorporate the Chinese erhu, played by Xiao Wang. It is an enchanting recording, and how fascinating to hear the fusion between the overtly Asian musical influences, virtuosic pianism, and Bell’s popular blending of relaxed minimalism with easy melodic charm.
There’s also an engaging YouTube playlist curated by the composer, which features most of the pieces from the album alongside a few extra delights:
The publication
Turning to the Musica Ferrum publication, this features a selection of 11 pieces for solo piano as well as a duet, all composed by Bell and from the album. They are as follows:
- Azalea
- Ikan Kekek
- Misty Shore
- Weeping Willow
- Jeram Toi Waterfall
- Timid Tapir
- Kanchil
- Wa Ha Ha
- Jasmine
- Grandfather’s Grocery Store
- Gingko Biloba
- Little Brook (duet)
These pieces are faithfully presented in beautifully engraved scores, with excellent clarity, spacing, and a few suggestions for fingering where appropriate. As always from this publisher, the score is also printed on cream paper, which as always aids reading considerably.
At the start of the book, Bell has contributed Notes on the inspiration of the pieces, which superbly draw the reader into the composer’s personal world, remembered childhood, and explain the context and imagery of the music.
The final piece, Little Brook, is a duet which is a little easier than the solos, making it eminently suitable for pianists to play with a sight-reading friend or intermediate student.
This is a durable and attractive publication which will give many years of pleasure to the player who wants to explore Bell’s delightful music at the piano for themselves, and to share it in performance with others.
Closing thoughts
I have been a fan of Angeline Bell’s music since her first publications appeared, so it is a particular joy to welcome this more advanced collection, which so absorbingly brings to life the composer’s memories, and paints such a gorgeous musical picture of the East Asian landscape.
I can recommend this music and the published score without reservation!
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