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: ST.Y223

ISBN 9790220221521.

It's often a composer's experience that the idea planted in one piece may also germinate unexpectedly in another, which is how Gaslight Square II, a seven-minute scherzo for piano duet, grew from a brief study of boogie-woogie style in Gaslight Square1 for solo piano. So, in addition to this jazz-derived element that is developed and extended in the more ambitious piece, there's also a set of little canons shared between the players, and a wistful melody heard in the setting of haunting four-part counterpoint.

Players of Grades 7 or 8 standard and above will find Gaslight Square II not only hugely enjoyable to play but also a valuable study in duet textures that require their interaction in a variety of characteristic ways.

Duo Antithesis premiered Gaslight Square II at the Ruglander Wasserschlosse in Bavaria, Germany in July 2005, and the work has been broadcast on Bavarian Radio.