Bernard van Dieren's piano music was often inspired by and written for his wife, Frida Kindler, a pianist who premiered many of his works.
Recording & Production
This album includes the first recording of Bernard van Dieren's Tema con Variazione and the Ballad de Villon, the latter arranged by Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock).
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bernard van Dieren's early works, including the Six Sketches and Toccata for piano, inhabited a similar sound world to Arnold Schoenberg, a composer known for his atonal and twelve-tone music.
Performer Biography
Pianist Christopher Guild is known for his work with rare piano repertoire, particularly from the British Isles, and has performed at prestigious UK venues like London's Wigmore Hall.
Composer Biography
From 1912, Bernard van Dieren suffered from an incurable and painful kidney complaint, which often incapacitated him and required morphine for relief.
Composer Biography
Bernard van Dieren, born in Rotterdam, moved to London in 1909 and married Frida Kindler, a superb pianist and pupil of Busoni, in 1910.
Compositional Technique
The Six Sketches for piano by Bernard van Dieren are thematically linked, polyphonic, and atonal in style, contrasting sharply with more delicate contemporary works.
