Post
by barney » Thu Jan 25, 2018 8:26 pm
Review for Sydney Morning Herald.
Obviously there is magnificent agreement!
CLASSICAL Eileen Joyce piano
The Complete Studio Recordings (Decca Eloquence)
5/5
Universal Music Australia has done sterling work in preserving the legacy of this country’s greatest classical musicians, none more important than this collection of the entire studio recordings of the charismatic pianist Eileen Joyce. The recordings, made from 1933 to 1958, fill 10 CDs on the ultra-budget Eloquence label. Destiny, a book of in-depth essays, has been published at the same time. A miner’s daughter from near Kalgoorlie, Joyce (1908-91) forged a notable international career, raised British war morale with concerts, delighted millions with her searching but romantic account of Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto in the film Brief Encounter and donated tens of thousands of dollars to promote classical music in Western Australia. Percy Grainger called her, at 18, “in every way the most transcendentally gifted young piano student I have heard in the last 25 years”. Famous for her glamorous gowns, Joyce had a crystalline technique, marked by clarity of vision and articulation, refinement and proportion but was vibrant as well. She was at home in a wide repertoire from Bach and Mozart to Liszt, Debussy, Shostakovich and Scriabin, and was also highly accomplished on the harpsichord. Outstanding liner notes. A landmark set
