Reviews

Originally published by: Classical Nowhere

I’ve been travelling about a bit lately, so it’s great to get home and listen to some music; there’s lots to catch up on.

Immediately, I fell for Piano Sonorities, an utterly beguiling collection of piano music by Betty R. Wishart, played by Jeri-Mae G. Astolfi. This intimate and darkly ruminative record is one of my favourites this year so far.

Chiefly, I am totally smitten by ‘Variations on a Folk Melody’, where the theme and twelve variations unfold wonderfully, from the deathly Ashokan Farewell of a theme itself, into ruminative short passages that, to me, have echoes of Debussy here, madcap Gerwshin piano-roll outbursts there, and some agitated hyperextension that is quite intoxicating. The overall determination though is to return to the hymn-like observance of the main theme, such that there is a kind of imaginative history being written. The wistful fourth variation is a very good example. I conjured, for instance, the life story of a fallen soldier. Then, the passage of a nation, through a whole century perhaps. And suddenly, as if similarly encouraged, a dog at my window took up a plaintive howl in accompaniment. I knew how he felt. The emotional ranging of the ‘Variations’ is simply outstanding, I think.

‘Remembrance’ is a beautiful piece of music, its yearning and sense of despair conveyed wonderfully by Astolfi. It has something of that late, slow Schubert about it, an unending agitation over some sense of loss or remorse that engages and re-engages as if it can never be fixed. And on top, there is a more modern filmic sweep which makes ‘Remembrance’ its own music. The piece ends on a single plinked fragility, as if to say the wisdom of centuries will not assuage such anguish, but there might be a gap in the clouds somewhere. Magnificent.

-Classical Nowhere