About Martin Jones

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About Jones

Editorial Reviews

The first volume of Richard Rodney Bennett's eclectic piano works may appeal to connoisseurs of musical enigmas, but others may feel a little disoriented by Bennett's quotations and allusions in severely atonal or lushly Romantic contexts. Where, in all this stylistically varied music, is the real Bennett? The composer of such famous film scores for Far From the Madding Crowd, Murder on the Orient Express, and Four Weddings and a Funeral is concealed behind many unfamiliar masks, and his facility in all styles, traditional and experimental, may confuse listeners who know only his soundtracks. Once one has made it past "Noctuary," a daunting gallimaufry on Scott Joplin's "Solace," the elusive "Tango on Syrinx," or the archly jazzy "Excursions," the rest of the pieces seem suspect, and one becomes wary of Bennett's game-playing. Suffice it to say, though, that his music can be appreciated for its technical polish and modernist vigor, and it is not necessary to catch all of his references and private jokes if the pieces appeal through their intricacy, energy, and charm. Pianist Martin Jones is proficient in this challenging music, and he adjusts to the extreme changes of mood and style with extraordinary ease. Metronome's recording is decent, but Potton Hall's live acoustics give the piano a shallow tone. Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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