Customer Reviews

American Character

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George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931) started life by dealing with a number of obstacles. His mother died when he was young, his father remarried and strongly discouraged his interest in music. He was more or less left to his own devices when it came to getting an education. He was a high school drop-out, was taught music by his older brother, and got his first organ-playing job when he was in his mid-teens. He found his way to Leipzig for several years of study at the conservatory there. He eventually rose to become the director of the New England Conservatory and a leader in organizing American music education. He was a leader in the 'Second New England School' of composers, winning an early and strong reputation for his music. Then his health failed and his music essentially dropped from sight after World War I. It is only in recent years that there has been a renewed interest in his works; there has been a recent spate of recordings primarily of his orchestral and chamber works. (Check out the terrific Naxos recording of orchestral works with Kenneth Schermerhorn conducting the Nashville Symphony.) His piano music, on the other hand, has remained in the shadows. This CD attempts to partially remedy that. Pianist Peter Kairoff has resurrected 22 character pieces (out of a total of probably no more than 30 or so) for this disc and he makes a good case for them. They are, to modern ears, slight and charming, reminiscent of Grieg's 'Lyric Pieces' or Mendelssohn's 'Songs without Words.' The harmonic language is not much more advanced than those works, but there are occasional harmonic and rhythmic twists that could only come from a 19th-century American.

If one did not read the work listings on the back of the jewel box and learn that these works are collected into groups of pieces and were composed over a period of twenty years, one might well think they were all from one mega-suite; Chadwick's style does not change or advance from the earliest in the 1880s to the latest in the 1900s. Particularly charming are the 'Three Waltzes' from 1888 and the 'Three Pieces for Children' (including one called 'Diddle-Diddle Dumpling') written for teaching purposes but stylistically indistinguishable from the 'adult' pieces.

Young Californian pianist Peter Kairoff is a member of the faculty at Wake Forest University. He has written informative booklet notes and modestly tells us nothing at all about himself. His playing is characterized by clarity, subtlety and grace, all of which suit this small-scaled Romantic music. He apparently specializes in 19th-century American piano music and has also recorded a CD of music by Charles Ives's teacher, Horatio Parker, as well as one with violinist Sarah Johnson of music by Arthur Foote and Amy Beach.

Recorded sound is excellent. TT=ca. 62 mins

Scott Morrison

This CD has some really beautiful stuff. Maybe not every track is a masterpiece, but they are all a real pleasure to listen to. I can't believe this music is not better known. Its become one of my favorite CDs.