Ronald Center's music often explores the paradoxical co-existence of beauty and evil, innocence and cruelty, responding to this reality with pity and love rather than nihilism.
Composition History
Despite composing a symphonic poem performed by the Scottish Orchestra in 1944 and a successful Divertimento for Strings in the 1950s, Ronald Center received little recognition during his lifetime.
Performer Biography
Christopher Guild, the pianist on this recording, is a Scottish recital artist and concerto soloist who advocates for contemporary and lesser-known repertoire.
Composer Biography
Ronald Center was a shy and private man with paralyzing stage fright, which prevented him from performing as a public soloist, though he was a superb pianist.
Composer Biography
Ronald Center, a pianist and composer, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1913 and later moved to Huntly, where he wrote most of his surviving music.
Compositional Technique
Ronald Center's compositions are notably concise, with nothing lasting more than half an hour, yet they pack significant power and depth, often employing ternary form.
Critical Reception
Ronald Center's music, including his Piano Sonata, found enthusiastic support among students of the Aberdeen University Havergal Brian and British Music Society in the late 1970s.
