Bridge: Piano Music, Vol. 2

Featuring

Ashley Wass
Frank Bridge

Did you know?

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Frank Bridge's music underwent a significant stylistic change after World War I, becoming more intense and chromatic, moving away from his earlier late-Romantic style.

Composer Biography

Frank Bridge, the composer, studied violin and composition at the Royal College of Music and was a pupil of Stanford.

Performer Biography

Ashley Wass performed in a gala concert at Buckingham Palace in June 2002 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, which was broadcast live globally.

Historical Context

As a pacifist, Frank Bridge was deeply affected by the misery of World War I, which also influenced a stylistic crisis and a need for a more radical harmonic voice in his music.

Performer Biography

Ashley Wass, the pianist on this recording, was the first British pianist ever to win the top prize at the World Piano Competition in 1997.

Critical Reception

Frank Bridge's post-World War I radical musical style alienated audiences and conservative critics, with one critic accusing him of 'uglifying his music to keep it up to date'.

Composer Biography

Frank Bridge's career also included performance as a violist, conducting (often deputizing for Henry Wood), and teaching, with Benjamin Britten being his most famous pupil.