Where's the love for Beveridge Webster?
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| Posted on September 22, 2014 at 22:10:54 | ||
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Posts: 5563
Location: SE Michigan Joined: May 30, 2001 |
Hey everybody...I've been busy playing with my newest EV--a converted electric motorcycle--but I've been whittling away at a pile of LP's purchased on a recent trip to Knoxville. I recently acquired a few LP's containing performances by pianist Beveridge Webster. The repertoire is solo piano music of the 20th Century, including a double-LP of Stravinsky piano music, and another containing works by Carter, Sessions, and ....that other guy. I have been struck with the quality of Webster's playing on these discs. While not the last word in technique, Webster's presentation of these works is clear and authoritative, no matter how knotty or diabolically difficult they may be. Perhaps it is his strong focus on modern literature that explains why he is not a familiar name today. A search of the archives of this board show one lone post from 2006 by a guy who wanted to know what BW recordings were worth pulling from the vinyl bins at Goodwill (sigh....). A rec for his Debussy (which I've not heard) was the sole rec to come back. As the poster back then pointed out, Webster made several recordings for the Dover and Desto labels. I would have to count these few in my hands among the better recordings I have of this type of repertoire. While not quite at the level of, say, Ursula Oppens (another name I don't remember reading around here much if ever), Webster's grasp of this music is outstanding and it's obvious why so many composers had longstanding relationships with Webster. Why is it that I've never read this guy's name here in the many keyboard discussions over the years? No fans? Any detractors? Just starting to get into the several discs of music by CPE Bach..... dh
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