Stewart Goodyear: Callaloo & Piano Sonata - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
6/7/2019, 9 Tracks, 1:00:24
Pianist and composer Stewart Goodyear is in the spotlight on Orchid Classics's 100th release. He plays the world premiere recordings of his own Piano Sonata and Callaloo, a suite for piano and orchestra named in honour of his Trinidadian roots. Completing the album is Gershwin's classic Rhapsody in Blue, for which Goodyear is joined once again by the Chineke! Orchestra conducted by Wayne Marshall.
Featuring
Wayne Marshall
Stewart Goodyear
Chineke! Orchestra
George Gershwin
Did you know?
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Composition History
Stewart Goodyear's Suite for piano and orchestra, 'Callaloo', was composed in 2016, two years after his first Carnival in Trinidad, where he was exposed to Calypso music.
Compositional Technique
The instrumentation of Stewart Goodyear's 'Callaloo' suite is almost identical to the symphony orchestra version of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue', with bongos replacing the banjo.
Composer Biography
Stewart Goodyear's Piano Sonata, composed when he was 18, was inspired by his high school prom and the popular music of his age group in 1996.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stewart Goodyear, the composer and pianist on this album, describes 'Callaloo' as his 'soul food' – a dish from the Caribbean with spices from different cultures, deliciously blended together.
Historical Context
The Chineke! Foundation, which established the Chineke! Orchestra featured on this album, was created in 2015 to provide career opportunities for young Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical musicians in the UK and Europe.
Performer Biography
Wayne Marshall, the conductor on this album, is a celebrated and award-winning interpreter of Gershwin, Bernstein, and other 20th-century American composers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stewart Goodyear aimed to create a bridge between classical and Calypso with his 'Callaloo' suite, much like George Gershwin created a bridge between classical and jazz with 'Rhapsody in Blue'.
