Farewell to Stromness

[shewhomust]

I've tended to regard Peter Maxwell Davies as a Good Thing without really knowing his music. Listening to the radio news coverage of his death, I suspect I may have encountered something from his days as an enfant terrible before he mellowed into the Master of the Queen's Music (I paraphrase the BBC). Today they've been playing fragments of a very pretty, plaintive piece of piano music, and by the time I'd heard it a couple of times I was thinking "But surely that wants to be a fiddle tune?"

Thankyou, YouTube:

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's lovely. Elegaic.

Nine

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Yes - but it was written as a piece of agit-prop (http://www.maxopus.com/work_detail.aspx?key=300), which I also love.

[lamentables.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big PMD fan, but that's a piece I find beautiful. They've just mentioned on Radio 3 that the guitar version is on this morning's schedule.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

I'd meant to add that there are, indeed, some fine guitar versions out there.

I begin to wonder whether the teaching of music at secondary school has simply given me an aversion to the piano.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I do know and love his music although I'd admit it can be rather cerebral.

This is a lovely arrangement.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

You are much more versed in classical music than ! am!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Have a listen to 'Orkney Sunrise' some time!