CD REVIEW – SHADES OF NIGHT
ANDREW BROWNELL (piano)
divine art DDA25233 [71:18]

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This label has only been in existence for 30 years and during that time has collected critical acclaim for quite a number of its over 600 titles. It now brings us an eclectic anthology by Andrew Brownell, himself a recipient of praise for his pianism, that explores the themes of the night and also of passion, the latter mostly from the Romantic period (late 18th and early 19th centuries).

Its baker's dozen of tracks open and close with what will no doubt be familiar to a lot of readers: the Adagio from Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata and Debussy's "Clair de lune". Then there are two Chopin Nocturnes, another by Samuel Barber, his Homage to John Field, and one by his fellow American, Lowell Liebermann (b.1961), composed in the mid-1990s. There is also the longest item, the slow movement of Brahms' Piano Sonata No.3 (10:33), described by the pianist as, in his view, possibly the most ravishing expression of love in the piano literature.

Other appropriate pieces come from Bartók, Couperin (2), Hindemith and Schumann. Brownell's exceptionally good explanatory booklet notes add much to the understanding and enjoyment of what we hear.

The album was recorded at The Singing Hall, St Paul's Girls' School, Hammersmith, London, on a Blüthner Model 1 Concert Grand way back in October 2015, and one cannot help wondering why it has taken so long to release.

Bearing in mind the positive effect that music can have on mental health and wellbeing, and reading recently that star pianist Lang Lang considers the piano to be a "spiritual instrument", listening to this recording could well do us all good.

© Peter Burt 2023