*PIANO FANTASY op.1b (August 1955)

A concert piece for piano in three sections
Published by: Highbridge Music Ltd
Instrumentation: piano
[Key to Abbreviations]
Duration: 4:20
First Performance: Recording at Potton Hall Suffolk by Vladimir Ashkenazy June 2013

Sheet Music Available
Instrumental / piano score for sale
Recordings Available
Walking in the Air - Vladimir Ashkenazy - The piano music of Howard Blake
Released: 3rd March 2014
Recorded: June 2013
Artists: Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) Vovka Ashkenazy (piano)
Available from: Amazon UK deccaclassics.com

Recorded as one of the works on the album 'WALKING IN THE AIR - THE MUSIC OF HOWARD BLAKE' performed by VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY and released on March 3rd 2014 on Decca Classics 478 6300 www.deccaclassics.com  www,vladimirashkenazy.com

Movements

  • 1: Lento
  • 2: Allegro
  • 3: Lento

Notes

HB note: In the summer of 1955 I composed an original 'Piano Fantasy', showing it to a friend of the family called Heather Waterman. She was three years older than me and played the piano well herself but, comparing my little effort with Beethoven, was distinctly unimpressed. I was discouraged and it was never played, yet very many years later in 2013, when researching repertoire for Vladimir Ashkenazy's piano album, I found the manuscript, revised it and it became a part of his solo piano album for Decca  as Piano Fantasy, Opus 1. 

Performances

13th April 2014
- 14th April 2014
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Decca CD album of Howard Blake's piano music

  'Walking in the Air', the music of Howard Blake performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy, joined by his son Vovka in the works for two pianos. Classic FM Album of the Weekend 13-14 April 2014


3rd March 2014 Vladimir Ashkenazy and Vovka Ashkenazy, DECCA RELEASE MARCH 3RD 2014

In 2011 Howard wrote the test-piece for The Hong Kong International Piano Competition which he attended. The President of the jury was Vladimir Ashkenazy who liked the work (Speech after long silence) and expressed his desire to record an album of Howard's piano music. This took place between March and July 2013. The repertoire includes two works for two pianos in which he is joined by his son Vovka and concert performances of these works were given in Lugano for RSI on 9th March 2013 just prior to the recordings. The completed 80-minute album also presents a wide selection of Howard Blake's solo pieces for piano performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy himself.  The completed album will be released by Decca on March 3rd 2014. The title track of the album is a solo piano version of 'Walking in the air' of which a single for download was issued as a pre-release for download on December 2nd 2013.

Related Autobiography Chapters


Solo soprano in Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Ruddigore' - as ROSE MAYBUD (1950)
PARTY PIECES, PIANO TRIO NO.1, BURLESCA FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO (1956)
FOUR MINIATURES, SYMPHONIC EXTRACT (1961)
'ELEGIA STRAVAGANTE' (PIANO TRIO NO.3) (2013)

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