David Johnson: 12 Preludes and Fugues for Solo Piano

Featuring

Christopher Guild
David Charles Johnson

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Compositional Technique

The entire set of 12 Preludes and Fugues is structured around a four-note motif (B-flat, B-natural, E, A) composed by Aberdonian composer Shaun Dillon, which spells out the Scots Gaelic word for 'life'.

Composer Biography

Johnson's parents were both musicians: his father, Sir Ronald Johnson, was an organist, and his mother, Lady Elizabeth, directed the Holst Singers of Edinburgh.

Composer Biography

David Johnson (1942-2009) is known for his significant contributions to the history of Scottish music, particularly from the 18th Century.

Performer Biography

Pianist Christopher Guild is known for his work on the piano music of Scotland and the British Isles, performing at prestigious venues across the UK.

Composer's Artistic Vision

After early modernist works, Johnson shifted to composing music that embraced folk idioms, scales, and modes, aiming to write about 'ordinary human things'.

Composition History

The 12 Preludes and Fugues were composed by David Johnson between 1992 and 1995 while he was a research fellow at Napier University, Edinburgh.

Compositional Technique

Johnson incorporates a distinct Scottish idiom into the Preludes and Fugues through the use of modes common in Scottish folksongs, such as the Mixolydian and pentatonic modes.