Skip to main content

Michael Blake: Complete Works for Solo Piano 1994-2004

📌

On the 12th of May 2023 we will issue a release from the catalogue of Michael Blake. Here is the press release to accompany the album.

____

Michael Blake: Complete Works for Solo Piano 1994-2004

The first release on Blake’s own label, Michael Blake Edition, brought together all his solo piano music written over a decade from 1994-2004. The recording artist was Johannesburg-based pianist and long-time collaborator, Jill Richards. It was released as MBED 001 in 2008.

Two longer pieces, French Suite (Two Dances) from 1994 and Ways to put in the salt from 2002 frame a bunch of miniatures, all written for particular occasions and particular pianists: John Tilbury, Antony Gray, Daan Vandewalle, Marcel Worms, Sally Rose and Jill Richards.

The composer has said: “Each of these nine short piano pieces, composed independently over a period of about nine years, and published as a set, has a connection with an earlier composer, sometimes drawing on that

composer’s music: Bach, Satie, Ives, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Cole Porter, Meade Lux Lewis, and Nofinishi Dywili. They could be portraits or homages or reflections; but in any event these are all composers whose work has been important for my own composition. I think of these short pieces as my workshop, an opportunity to try out techniques that can be developed in larger scale compositions.”

Christine Lucia’s short essay in the CD booklet says: “Blake’s music can seem unassuming as it proceeds from bar to bar, but this is a deception for when the journey of the piece is over its impact acquires a cumulative significance – after the fact, as a whole – that one is not conscious of moment by moment. The music has a great deal of humour, in the spirit of making listeners aware how silly life can be, but it also touches the grimmer sides, with glimpses of deep melancholy or desolation.”

Legendary New Music pianist John Tilbury noted that “you can feel its African provenance, and Shaun de Waal, writing in the Mail & Guardian, felt “There is a sense of a lovely simplicity that has, in fact, been shaped from a deep complexity. They feel old and new at the same time.”

Michael Blake Edition, 5 May 2023

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LTE Distribution

Updated 11/4/22 LTE Music Distribution   is a Music Distribution firm managed by service provider, Lee Thorp Entertainment.  Model -   As music distributor our model is to provide a low cost service to producers and labels who can do most of the marketing and preparation work themselves, utilising our experience and contacts and systems to get their music to the different markets. Digital/Physical We offer a full digital distribution service for a flat percentage of all revenue we manage to be part of securing. Here are the basics. 1 -  No fixed costs on each release, no storage costs, no encoding or metadata management costs as well as a free full data service for your royalty accounting and trend data for marketing use. 2 - No long term contracts on repertoire with fixed term licenses on individual songs. However we reserve a limited option to one new song in the case of a new act from producers. 3 - If you don't have a publisher we offer music publishing through our sister

Chirkutt single - testing new territory

🍫 Bangladeshi folk rock stars Chirkutt venture into new territory in more than one way with their next single.  (c) Songwrights Publishers for Mountain Records The track titled Chocolate is their first release in English. Once again it is written by lead singer Sumi , and it is a melancholy ballad.  The five piece outfit will undertake their first tour of several main US cities in the summer so the release of an English language track will hopefully also be an introduction of their music to the US market. The release will be available on the 26th of May 2023. Music link after release -  https://open.spotify.com/album/0SXaSn75gLdsyjfTBcKSWi?si=tbnD0Uo8QE-S2Fu9zcAqlQ Press release from the band here > Bangladesh's beloved band, Chirkutt, is poised to captivate music enthusiasts once again with the release of their latest single on May 26th. The much-anticipated track encapsulates the profound journey of self-discovery and the importance of seizing every moment, reminding us tha

McCully/Mackay reveal title track for their forthcoming second album

  McCully/Mackay reveal title track for their forthcoming second album Progrock duo McCully/Mackay are proud to announce The Garden of the Snake, their new single and title track for their forthcoming second album.  Darker both musically and lyrically than their previous works, the track explores themes of exploitation, manipulation and corruption inspired by familiar myths and parables as well as the modern landscape of our ever-increasingly authoritarian world. “There’s an increasing number of laws and encroachment on individuals” says Tully.  “Levels of ever-growing red tape are suffocating creativity and expression. It’s a system that benefits the wealthy and powerful, who can buy their own justice.” The band are known for their bold instrumentation and continue to push their skills with their new material. Along with the signature synth and guitar sounds, Garden of the Snake heightens the eerie atmosphere with a violin solo. "Tully was hinting at me playing some