I recently bought a couple of short pieces by a composer called Geoffrey Robbins – Two Preludes for Piano. They are just about in my gift. The first is
The Lavender Path, which is a short ‘allegretto’, has some interesting harmonies
and possibly a few too many octaves for its own good. The second is Trees on the ill which is slightly
more complex but well worth practising.
Once again, the composer likes octaves. Btu what struck me most about these
pieces were the listings of ‘forgotten’ piano music by often forgotten
composers on the back cover. Simply by
reading their titles, I want to hear and possibly play them. Someone once said
that lists are good for blog – so here goes with part one. The second part will
follow in a few days. Meanwhile I will try to find out a wee bit more about Mr
Robbins and his music.
William McLean
By
Killarney
In
Andalusia
In
the Moonlight
Jessamine
Joy
– Valsette
Margery Moore
The
Merry Mid-Shipman
Herbert Murrill
Two
Impromptus
Geoffrey Shaw
What
Grandpa Plays – The Pony Gallops, Mrs Duck, The Shepherd to his lambs, The
Brave Tin Soldier & Grandfather Clock
Arthur Somervell
What
you will
Frederick J Staton
Romp
on the Sands
Freda Swain
The
Mountain Ash
Colin Taylor
Barren
Woods
Beside
the Idle summer Sea
Pantomime
The
Haven of Piece
Touch-Last
Two
Preludes: Retrospect & Gossamer
Alec Templeton
At
the Garden Gate
Concert
Waltz
Flight
Idyll
Caprice
The
Trout Stream
To
What Place?
Kathleen Tittle
Moon
Magic
Ernest Walker
A
West African Fantasietta
Richard H. Walthew
The
Scholar and the Day Off
Joseph Wardale
The
Toy Box: The Clown, Hippo, The Fort, The Dancing Bear, The Sailing Boat &
The Flying Scotsman
The
Toy Cupboard
Mickey
Mouse, Dismal Desmond, Jumbo, Japanese Doll, Peter Rabbit &
Monkey-up-the-stick.
Although
as a principle, I always try to put a title into its ‘sitz in leben’: what may
be rather funny today could have been quite serious back in 1935. However, there are a few deliciously camp
titles amongst these pieces. One wonders
what the Merry Mid-Shipman got up to? And what about the Romp on the Sands?
Finally, I am glad I never had a toy called Dismal Desmond.
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