PHOENIX | THE ARTS DESK

Classical CDs: Pealing bells, abandoned ballrooms and abrasive brass

Obscure Americana unearthed, plus Baroque keyboard music and a visit to the gallery

by Graham Rickson

Stewart Goodyear: Phoenix (Bright Shiny Things)

Two showpieces by pianist Stewart Goodyear bookend this engaging disc. “Congolay” makes reference to Goodyear’s Trinidadian heritage, and “Panorama” is five minutes of propulsive, percussive rumba. The big work is Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. I’ve heard too many flabby performances of Ravel’s orchestrated version lately, so coming back to the original score was a revelation. Goodyear’s crisply articulated performance is so full of life, so rhythmically buoyant, and the starker colours better allow one to appreciate how individual the piano writing is. “The Gnome” is all sharp edges and disquieting harmonies. “Bydlo” rumbles past with terrifying weight, and the unhatched chicks are featherlight. The last three movements make for a thrilling conclusion; “Baba Yaga” is unsettling, and the finale is exultant without sounding bombastic.

Anthony Davis’s Middle Passage is a stormy depiction of slaves being transported across the Atlantic, the soloist directed to improvise at several points. Secret and Glass Gardens by Jennifer Higdon gleams, its clangourous climax neatly followed up by a glowing account of Debussy’s “La cathedrale engloutie”, the pealing bells thundering out. Goodyear’s warmth and enthusiasm go hand-in-hand with impeccable technique, and the recorded sound is sumptuous. No notes, but the sleeve design and packaging are striking.