Camilleri: Études, Book 1; Études, Book 2; Five Sonatinas

Camilleri is Malta’s leading composer, though his interest in the European avant-garde, together with his study of African and Asian music (the first evident in the African Dreams, the second in the oriental shadings of Sonatina No. 1) give his work a cosmopolitan flavour. This disc reveals him as a miniaturist, but there is substance in his music and McLachlan rises to its various challenges.

Our rating

4

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:08 pm

COMPOSERS: Camilleri
LABELS: Olympia Explorer
WORKS: Études, Book 1; Études, Book 2; Five Sonatinas
PERFORMER: Murray McLachlan (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: OCD 478 DDD

Camilleri is Malta’s leading composer, though his interest in the European avant-garde, together with his study of African and Asian music (the first evident in the African Dreams, the second in the oriental shadings of Sonatina No. 1) give his work a cosmopolitan flavour. This disc reveals him as a miniaturist, but there is substance in his music and McLachlan rises to its various challenges. He sails through the complex rhythms of the ‘Hymn to Morning’, mooches along nicely in the serene, nationalistic Aubade which opens Times of Day, and finds enough variety in the stylistically similar Sonatinas to play all five in succession without loss of effect. He also provides his own highly informative notes. Wadham Sutton

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