The Classics: May 1st

You Hit Him He Cry Out. Dan Poynton (piano). Rattle CD

Next month in the Town Hall, the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra will play New Zealand composer John Psathas’ Luminous (1999), described by conductor Marc Taddei as a "subtle work of warm, emotional power and a personal favourite". It was composed in 1999.

Availability of back-catalogue discs from Rattle Records (established in 1991 with drummer Steve Garden becoming the driving force as a producer and engineer for 26 years) helps throw more light on the works of Psathas, now an internationally successful composer. You Hit Him He Cry Out, released in 1997, gained the 1998 Classical Record of the Year award. It appears to be his first music on disc, containing Psathas’ piano solo Waiting for the Aeroplane, which jumps from pianissimo to furious fortissimo as it expresses the composer’s emotions about travel to Greece to visit his family.  He is in excellent company, as Poynton also plays works by Lilburn (Sonatina No.2), Jack Body (Five Melodies), Gillian Whitehead (Lullaby for Matthew) and others, all interesting listening.

This CD was followed by Rhythm Spike, a sampler of music — all by Psathas — which won the 2000 Classical Record prize (temporarily unavailable on CD). Its seven tracks hint at his intense interest in classical music, jazz, rock, folk and gamelan music traditions. It was delivered by such talented performers as Michael Houstoun, Deirdre Irons and Poynton playing piano, and the New Zealand String Quartet, among others. The next major CD of Psathas’ inventions was View From Olympus, which won the 2007 award of the year. More about this and other discs in future columns.

Verdict: Psathas’ music in first flight.

- Geoff Adams

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