Navona Records present Clipper Erickson's solo piano album Tableau, Tempest & Tango, which contains works by composers Richard Brodhead (1947- ), David Finko (1936-), and Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881). The mostly Russian-themed album closes with Erickson’s interpretation of Mussorgsky’s famous Pictures at an Exhibition...

I always find solo piano albums intriguing. And Clipper Erickson's Tableau, Tempest & Tango is no exception. Obviously to capture the complexities of a full orchestra on a single instrument is impossible, but to give him his due, Erickson does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of each piece.

Most will be familiar with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, so if there are any flaws this is where you'll spot them. And to be honest, he does tend to stumble his way through sections of it... but then with a live recording you'll never get a smooth and polished performance as the pieces are too complex and cluttered for a solo piano to carry off a flawless interpretation.

If you're a true fan of the piano as a solo instrument then what Erickson delivers here will warm your heart greatly.

Track listing:

Disc 1

David Finko
01 - Fantasia on a Medieval Russian Theme (1961)

David Finko
Sonata No. 1 “Solomon Mikhoels” (1964)
02 - Burlesco, rubato
03 - Energico
04 - Concentrato
05 - Animato

David Finko
Sonata No. 2 (1998)
06 - Affannosamente acuto
07 - Largo assai, debole
08 - Allegro duramente
09 - Allegro

David Finko
10 Sonata No. 3 (2009)

Disc 2

Richard Brodhead
01 - Sonata Notturna – Piano Sonata No. 2 (2016)

Richard Brodhead
02 - Una Carta de Buenos Aires – Tango Sonatina for Piano (2011)

Modest Mussorgsky
Pictures at an Exhibition
03 - Promenade I
04 - Gnomus (The Gnome)
05 - Promenade II
06 - Il vecchio castello (The Old Castle)
07 - Promenade III
08 - Tuileries
09 - Bydło
10 - Promenade IV
11 - Ballet of Chicks in Their Shells
12 - Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle
13 - Promenade V
14 - The Marketplace at Limoges
15 - Catacombae (Sepulcrum romanum)
16 - Con mortuis in lingua mortua
17 - The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (Baba Yaga)
18 - The Great Gate of Kiev

8

Darren Rea