During the 50s and 60s, Cornelius Cardew was an important English composer who pioneered the use of experimental scores and free improvisations in classical music. Yet he abandoned the avant-garde in the 1970s after a political conversion to Communism. He condemned experimental music as elitist and advocated more tonal “socially redeeming” music. This political and artistic stance continued until his death when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver in 1981.

The entire idea that certain music is subversive and can be judged by your political views alone is simply odious to me. Yet this collection of Carew’s piano music from the 1970s is quite beautiful. It doesn’t say who is the pianist so I assuming it is the composer himself. The influence of English folk melodies and traditional music is self evident. Some tracks like “Croppy Boy” are pastoral and meanders like a rippling stream. Others like the “Thalmann Variations” are full of cascading lines in a hurry to fullfill themselves before the composition ends. Certainly, with titles like “Four Principles, “Revolution” which comes the closest to his earlier dissonance, and “Red Flag Prelude” they are meant as program music to represent various ideology. But regardless, the eleven tracks can be enjoyed as beautiful piano pieces played with feeling and composed by an exceptional artist.

The album is available from the amazing Ubuweb.

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