Jayson Gillham Performs Bach On ABC Classics
Australian piano virtuoso Jayson Gillham presents Romantic Bach: From Intimate to Epic, his fourth album on ABC Classics.
The album features 11 of J S Bach’s compositions transcribed and arranged, from Rachmaninoff’s transformation of the Partita for Violin in E major into a pianistic showpiece, to Myra Hess’s sublime Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Jayson Gillham’s latest release is an homage to Bach from some of the great pianists and pianist-composers – Rachmaninoff, Percy Grainger, Hess, Busoni, Siloti and Petri.
Born in 1685 in Germany, J S Bach remains arguably the most important musician in the Western musical tradition. His brilliance is evident in his keyboard works which have influenced centuries of composers and musicians. This celebrated repertoire allows Jayson’s artistry to shine, revealing the profound depth of his musicality and a mind constantly interrogating his performance, his instrument, and the music.
Born and brought up in rural Queensland, Jayson Gillham travelled for hours to piano lessons in Brisbane, before shooting to fame in a number of prestigious international competitions. He is now recognised as one of the finest pianists of his generation, performing across the globe with the world’s most prestigious orchestras, venues and festivals.
The tracks:
J S Bach – Fugue in E major, BWV878 from The Well-Tempered Clavier, arr. Percy Grainger/ Suite from Violin Partita in E major, BWV1006 arr. Sergei Rachmaninoff / Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, BWV904/ The Sheep May Safely Graze from Cantata BWV208, arr. Egon Petri/ Capriccio on the Departure of his Beloved Brother, BWV992/ Siciliano from Flute Sonata No. 2 in E-flat major, BWV1031, arr. Wilhelm Kempff/ Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring from Cantata BWV147, arr. Myra Hess/ Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein, BWV734a arr. Ferruccio Busoni/ Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV1004 arr. Ferruccio Busoni/ Organ Prelude in E minor, BWV555 arr. Alexander Siloti/
P Grainger – Blithe Bells: A free ramble on JS Bach’s The Sheep May Safely Graze
Album available 2 November 2018 | 1CD + Digital album | ABC 481 7686
