The late Elie Siegmeister fused plaintive blues, spiky rhythms, imposing chordal mobiles, and bare-boned registral shifts. Clotting dissonances enliven the composer’s rugged canvasses like a touch of tabasco on your morning eggs. While the music bristles with activity, the piano writing isn’t overtly idiomatic. Every so often, though, Siegmeister surprises you with frisky arpeggiated figures that sparkle from both hands in all directions. The works on this disc reveal the full scope of the composer’s severe, uncompromising style together with his wistful, populist persona. Kenneth Boulton makes the best possible case for this undervalued repertoire. Stylistically, Alan Mandel (the composer’s son-in-law) might come closer to the mark with his less driven, more flexible reading of the Fifth Sonata (Albany); however, Boulton’s unbridled dance through the lively finale takes top honors. The pieces were recorded at different venues, which may account for the sonic variations between selections. It’s a small price to pay for such treasurable piano playing. Strongly recommended.
