Sessions/Martino

Roger Sessions was a father figure for several generations of American composers, and these two piano sonatas are perfect examples of his highly wrought and energised style, in which continuity of line is all important. There’s less consistency in the work by his pupil Donald Martino, though the keyboard writing is always idiomatic and well executed in these performances. Andrew Clements

Our rating

4

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:10 pm

COMPOSERS: Sessions/Martino
LABELS: New World
WORKS: Piano Sonata No. 2; Piano Sonata No. 3;Fantasies; Impromptus
PERFORMER: Randall Hodgkinson, Robert Helps (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: 80546-2 Reissue (1980, 1984)

Roger Sessions was a father figure for several generations of American composers, and these two piano sonatas are perfect examples of his highly wrought and energised style, in which continuity of line is all important. There’s less consistency in the work by his pupil Donald Martino, though the keyboard writing is always idiomatic and well executed in these performances. Andrew Clements

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