Jean-Michel Damase – Piano Concerto No. 2, Flute Concerto, Symphonie & Concertino for piano and string orchestra

Why don’t we know about French composer Jean-
Michel Damase who died in 2013 at the age of 85? Martin Yates’ exploration of Damase’s music for Dutton Epoch is a triumph, revealing an appealing composer in the vein of Poulenc and Honegger. Ashley Wass plays the alluring, jazz-inflected Second Piano Concerto and the Poulenc-indebted Concertino with sparkle and wit, and Anna Noakes the melodic and graceful Flute Concerto, perhaps bringing Jean Françaix to mind. Completing the disc is the Symphonie of 1952, with its lyrical first movement, modal slow movement and gripping finale featuring a radiant transformation of the theme from the first movement and a noble conclusion. Track listing: Piano Concerto No. 2 (1962): i Allegro – Allegro vivo ii Andantino iii Allegro ma non troppo / Flute Concerto (1992) i Allegretto ii Andante iii Allegro / Concertino for piano and string orchestra (1991) Allegro – Andante – Allegro – Andante – Adagio – Allegro / Symphonie (1952) i Moderato ii Adagio iii Allegro / Recorded: Abbey Road Studio No. 1, London, 1-3 July 2013
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