It is a great pleasure
to be able to welcome a disc of unfamiliar
music by a composer who is not well
known but who has something to say and
the ability to say it interestingly
and economically.
Brian Chapple studied
with Lennox Berkeley and, although his
music is very different in character,
it shares Berkeley’s careful craftsmanship
and precision of effect. He has apparently
written many orchestral and choral works,
none currently available on record as
well as these and other piano works.
The present disc offers a useful and
enjoyable overview of his music in recent
years and raises the obvious question
as to why music of such quality is not
heard more often.
As the composer points
out, the oldest piece here – the Piano
Sonata – is also the most challenging
to the listener … and to the performer,
although it seems to hold no problems
for Anthony Goldstone. It was commissioned
for Julian Jacobson with funds from
the Arts Council and first played at
the Dartington Summer School in 1986.
There is a real sense of evolution from
the short opening Adagio, through
a relentless Allegro, to the
long finale which eventually works its
way back to the character of the opening
movement. I found it gripping from beginning
to end, as I did the more recent "Bagatelles
diverses". Despite their name
this is the longest piece here, moving
again from short character pieces towards
a more extended and substantial final
movement. The remaining solo item –
"Reliques" – dates
from the First Gulf War and from the
composer’s reaction to pictures of a
long line of wrecked armoured vehicles
with their dead occupants. I found this
a powerful piece, rather after the manner
of film music with its haunting echoes
of bugle calls.
The remaining two pieces
are for both players, and are lighter
in character. The Burlesque was
originally for four pianists at two
pianos. It consists of four short movements,
including a tango, a moto perpetuo,
and a big-band style finale. The final
piece is another arrangement, this time
of music for saxophone quartet. Again
there are four movements – even shorter
and even more approachable.
I have not seen scores
for any of the music, but the playing
of both players seems wholly convincing,
and indeed wholly at the service of
the music. There are full and useful
notes and the recording quality is excellent.
I very much hope that Divine Art will
have the success they deserve with this
enterprising and very enjoyable disc.
Perhaps what the composer has to say
may not always be profound or original,
but he says it so well and interestingly
that it is a pleasure to be in his company
for the duration of this disc.
John Sheppard
Anthony Goldstone (piano) (1, 2, 4, 5);
Caroline Clemmow (piano) (1, 3, 5) 
