COMPOSERS: Clarke,Liszt,Tippett
LABELS: Metier
WORKS: Piano Sonata No. 3; Fantasy on a Theme of Liszt; A Tunnel of Time; Solstice
PERFORMER: Graham Caskie (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: MSV CD92004 DDD (distr. Albany)
Tippett’s Third Sonata (1972) seems discursive after the rigid economies of No. 2, and the 15-minute slow movement feels too long. But rigour underlies the apparent waywardness, and Caskie has the required balance of passion and control. Understandably, none of the shorter pieces has the same impact. McCabe and Patterson are typically workmanlike; Clarke’s Solstice (1991-3) has an imaginative approach to sonority. Caskie is always secure and responsive. The recording has great clarity, but an occasional harshness. Keith Potter