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http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/Aug07/Holt_ktc1317.htm Posted by David Barker on September 4, 2007, 10:59 pm 124.170.226.37 I am one of Len's website editors and put this review up last month. Kirk's review piqued my interest, but I wasn't willing to buy a 3CD set of a minimalist piano work on spec. I found the composer's website which included a small sample of the work. I liked what I heard, but still not enough to spend £24 (AmazonUK's price) on it. When I checked with Crotchet, their price was £12.35, which I was willing to pay. However, I wondered whether it would be a "misprint" and when I ordered it, I would be notified that the real price was £20+. But no, it arrived today (how's that for service - ordered on Aug 28, dispatched on 31, received in Australia Sept 4) for that price. The music is as Kirk described - beautiful and melodic, repetitive and slowly evolutionary. If you like Michael Nyman's filmscore for "The Piano" you will like this. In fact, were it not for the fact that Canto was written before the film, I would say some of it had been borrowed. I totally agree with his opinion that this is music that is best listened to in the background: it is hypnotic and seems to register at an almost subconscious level. I will be playing it during the long hours working at my computer. I have amended the review page to include a link to the composer's website and a Crotchet sales link.  Post a Response

Re: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/Aug07/Holt_ktc1317.htm Posted by Dominy Clements on September 6, 2007, 11:57 am, in reply to "http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/Aug07/Holt_ktc1317.htm" 194.171.57.1 This recording first appeared on Donemus' own label, and was all the rage in cultured parts of The Netherlands at the time. http://www.donemus.nl/cd_detail.php?id=17 I agree with the 'meditative' qualities of the piece, but with the multiple discs it does feel like juggling with stacks of 45 rpm records, as we used to in the old days! The score reads as bars or phrases, the number of repeats of each bar or section partially left to the musicians, hence the variation between versions. The Brilliant Classics box also has works like 'Horizon' and 'Lemniscaat' which use the same or similar techniques, but never quite achieved the same 'hit' quality as 'Canto Ostinato'. Holt's earlier piano works are also worth a listen - being nothing like these extended piano landscapes.  Post a Response

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