<<<  <<  -- 4 --  Anthony Davie    IMPRESSIVE AUTHORITY

The Piano Fantasy (1969-72) is the toughest work on the disc in which Ramey explores a fancy with serialism. There is much contrast in its four sections although the entire work once again has a very serious tone.

It was actually Virgil Thomson who brought the musical 'portrait' into vogue, and with Four Tangier Portraits (1991-99) we have four pieces by Ramey carrying on the tradition.

Toccata No 2 (1990) was composed in Tangier and is dedicated to Mirian Conti who premièred it in Merkin Hall, New York, in 1991. The composer has described the piece as 'a propulsive, rhythmic, motoric work with a pronounced lyrical element.' It's in the form of a modified rondo with a central lyric section.

Stephen Gosling plays the works with impressive authority [listen -- track 17, 5:09-6:16] and is totally sympathetic with Ramey's style. Stephen is a British pianist who studied at the Juilliard School in New York. He now plays for many of New York's most prestigious orchestras and new music groups and has recorded for New World, CRI, Innova, Albany and Centaur amongst others.

The notes written by Benjamin Folkman are excellent. He is president of The Tcherepnin Society and the author of the entry on Phillip Ramey in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

For help listening to the sound extracts here, please refer to our questions & answers page.