If any composer deserves recognition it is Kenneth Leighton, writes Bryce Morrison in his liner notes to this CD. Though not completely uninteresting or devoid of worthy qualities, Leighton’s piano music can hardly be considered a major discovery. The British composer (1929-88) displays expert writing, a solid sense of form, and some seductive melodic ideas. But his “lucid and immaculate taste” sometimes becomes a limitation verging on academism, leaving more daring developments by the wayside. Idiomatically written and conveying a subtle sense of anguish, the virtuoso Five Studies show Leighton at his best. Conceived as an homage to Busoni, the powerful Fantasia contrappuntistica was premiered by the young Maurizio Pollini in 1956. Its combination of restless motion and dark, meditative polyphony builds up an impressive architecture but remains far from Busoni’s grandiose eponymous piece. Charming and unpretentious, the Sonatina No. 2 flows with grace, while the Pieces for Angela stick to their educational purpose. Finally, the late Four Romantic Pieces indulge in thick textures and tormented, quasi-improvisational gestures. Margaret Fingerhut’s solid pianism finds in Chandos’ sturdy engineering a perfect equivalent. For piano repertoire completists.
