Stanley has received master classes from Menahem Pressler,
Shai Wosner, Claude Frank, Gary Graffman, Olga Kern, John Lill, Joanna
MacGreggor and Stephen Kovacevich to name a few. Since graduating, Sebastian’s
career has gone from strength to strength with his performances receiving
highly praiseworthy reviews.
The winner of several international prizes including the
coveted Chappell Medal at the RCM (2006), the London Emanuel Trophy (2007) and
1st Prize in the International Louise Henriette competition in Germany (2004), Stanley
has given recitals around the world as well as at over 100 venues around the UK
as a soloist for festivals, music clubs and concert societies. His concerto
repertoire includes works by Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Beethoven,
Schumann, Grieg, Mozart and Lambert.
Sebastian has been a regular accompanist for many
instrumentalists and his permanent duo partnership with clarinetist, Jonathan
Parkin has seen the pair give many recitals around Britain, with a strong focus
on the British clarinet and piano repertoire. He has broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s
In tune and Breakfast shows, Celtic Music Radio, and has been signed by the
label EMEC Discos for whom his first disc El
amor y la muerte has been released to critical acclaim.
Sebastian Stanley’s
latest release from EMEC Discos www.emecdiscos.com
is a two disc set of works by Enrique
Granados (1867-1916), his Danzas espanõlas and Goyescas.
E - 105/106 |
The first CD in this set brings us the Danzas espanõlas,
Op.37 that appears in four volumes in 1890. The forward moving rhythmic
qualities of Danza I are combined
with a poetry that is well brought out by Stanley. He holds back in a way that
adds a certain tension. Danza II
‘Oriental’ retains a sultry feel with this pianist displaying a light touch
that creates a rather haunting quality at times. In Danza III, Stanley pulls as much interest as he can from the rather
rustic opening theme. The second subject, with its Chopinesque trills, is most
attractive.
Danza IV ‘Villanesca
is nicely nuanced with this pianist’s transition into the central section
nicely done and the striking rhythms of Danza
V ‘Andaluza’ are well brought out. Stanley doesn’t rush these pieces,
always structuring the music to bring out the atmosphere and poetry. Danza VI ‘Aragonesa’ builds in tempo to
a fine pitch with Stanley giving the feel of a live performance, never holding
back or providing too much polish that would rob this music of its rustic
origins.
There is a great sense of rhythm in Danza VII ‘ Valenciana’, a lovely rhythmic bounce with fine
intricate detail. Danza VIII brings a
lovely atmosphere, a more sultry feel, before the stronger rhythms appear that
firm up the music. Danza IX has a
lovely firm, rich left hand motif in this equally atmospheric piece with some
fine touches from Stanley in the more thoughtful passages.
In Danza X Stanley
keeps the music moving with many fine, subtle features. There are many attractive features to
Granados’ Danza XI, something brought
out by Stanley’s sensitive playing, fine pacing and sense of the overall
structure in music that could sound fragmented in the wrong hands. The
attractive dissonances of Danza XII
are nicely brought out with a fine sense of atmosphere in this, the most
unusual of the set, before a lovely coda.
There are many fine elements to these performances but it is
the second disc that I found truly impressive. This disc features Granados’ Goyescas
from 1911, a suite for piano, subtitled Los
majos enamorados (The Gallants in
Love) and inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya (1746-1828). The
suite was published in two books of three pieces each.
The first piece, Los
requiebros, opens with a lovely flourish in this strong performance, full
of fine little details, again showing this pianist’s fine touch. There are
lovely rippling phrases and some attractive little rhythmic lilts. This is a very
fine performance indeed.
Coloquio en la reja
opens darkly with more, fine playing from Stanley, lovely dynamics allowing the
underlying subtleties to emerge. He brings out all the subtle little
inflections as well as providing some terrific swirls of sound.
With El Fandango del
candil, Stanley points up the rhythms so well fine with immensely fluent
playing, excellent rubato and such fine colouring of phrases.
Stanley brings
much beauty to the lovely Quejas o La
maja y el ruiseñor, with a natural rise and fall and some lovely little,
delicate decorations. He gives just the right amount of weight to the
occasionally more dynamic parts and some lovely fluidity of playing in the
attractive coda.
There is certainly a fine weight to the opening of El amor y la muerte, full of drama, well
caught by Stanley. When the lovely theme emerges from amidst the drama it is
spellbinding as are the lovely limpid phrases that appear later, when the main
theme appears again. There is some gorgeous, sensitive playing in the later
stages of this piece leading right up to the coda.
With Epilogo, Stanley
brings all the spectral feel needed, keeping together all the disparate
elements of this piece and becoming quite forceful midway with some
impressively fine playing. It is lovely when the theme appears, gently, before
building in power and concluding quietly.
El Pelele is not
strictly one of Goyescas but is usually included in most performances of the
set. It certainly casts aside the gloomier feeling of the previous piece with
music that is light and joyful with some beautifully fluent details from
Stanley.
Sebastian Stanley is certainly a fine pianist. Whilst his Danzas
espanõlas contain many fine things, it is the Goyescas that are truly
impressive with some exceptional playing.
He receives an excellent recording made in the Auditorio
Centro Cultural La Marina, Caja España, Zamora, Spain. There are informative
booklet notes but unfortunately with occasional printing errors. The packaging
places one disc above the other making it very tall which may not be convenient
for all collectors.
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