SKU: HL.14041529

ISBN 9781849388214.

Lord Berners (1883-1950) was one of the most idiosyncratic and fascinating personalities in British music.

He became a pioneer in the avant-garde when he wrote his first music whilst living in Rome as adiplomat during World War 1; Balanchine choreographed his first two ballets and Ashton the next three; in 1931 he had the first exhibition of his paintings; in 1934 he published the first volume of his autobiography, FirstChildhood, and two years later his first novel, The Camel -- and three more novels came out in 1941.

On top of all this during the 1930s, known as 'the versatile peer', he increasingly gained a reputation as an eccentric,which he realised was good for publicity.

A wry humour pervades everything, as in these three sets of piano duets. Berners' songs and piano music, too, are as full of whimsical references as those of Erik Satie -- he hasbeen called the English Satie and the Ronald Firbank of music.

Berners was not prolific but whatever he did was stamped with his own fastidious accomplishment. He may not have been the last eccentric but his music, writingand painting combine to make him one of the most rewarding.

SKU: IS.PND6330EM

ISBN 9790365063307.

Patrick Hiketick is a Belgian pianist and composer. As a composer he worked for nearly all theatre companies in Flanders and he wrote over a 100 different theatre plays, amongst which the complete oeuvre of Molière and Shakespeare. He was also the musical director for all Brecht plays for KNS theatre in Antwerp, where he worked as the home composer for 10 years. He than became the musical coordinator for the Royal Ballet of Flanders and he wrote several ballet compositions for symphony orchestra. He has his own close-harmony and jazz trio, and he works freelance as a composer and as artistic director in several musical productions. He composed many clarinet works for the Flanders Clarinet Quartet, and was honoured in Japan with concerts completely dedicated to his works.