Bowen - Piano Sonatas

Danny Driver

Hyperion CDA67751/2 Buy now

Bowen Complete Piano Sonatas
Danny Driver pf
(119’ • DDD)

No better example of Hyperion’s founding principles could be imagined than this disc of three premiere recordings contributing to the first survey of the complete sonatas by an unjustly neglected composer. There really is no longer any excuse for pianists to ignore the music of York Bowen (1884-1961) or for concert promoters to reject it as obscure music by a minor composer.
Francis Pott provides a superb and perceptive overview of the six works in his accompanying booklet, noting the development of (and various influences on) Bowen. One catches glimpses in the early Sonatas Nos 1 and 2 (c1901) and No 3 (1912) of Chopin, Mendelssohn and most notably MacDowell (the slow movement of the B minor Sonata is reminiscent of “AD MDCXX”, one of the Sea Pieces). Sonata No 4 appears to be lost. The Short Sonata, Op 35 No 1 (1922) has hints of Delius. In Nos 5 (1923) and 6 (1961) one at last finds some justification in Bowen being labelled the “English Rachmaninov”.

Danny Driver, whose debut on Hyperion was an acclaimed recording of Bowen’s Third and Fourth piano concertos, is the ideal advocate for this glorious music, playing with razor-sharp articulation and a rich, organ-like sonority (well captured by Simon Eadon and Andrew Keener) while characterising Bowen’s ruminative slow movements with tender introspection and an improvisatory air, a particular pleasure of these two discs. Driver is an artist who is able to transcend the sterile surrounds of the studio and give “real” performances, an early Award nominee for next year. Who knows, with a composer whose name begins with “B” he might stand a chance of winning. Jeremy Nicholas