Based on his recently released compilation album Three Sonatas, composer Sam Rudd-Jones is someone to follow closely. At just 23, the composer, rapper, and producer creates work that combines rich harmonies with contemporary flair. Rudd-Jones debut album features works written over a four-year period.
The titular work grows organically into three eight-minute pieces for a trio of solo instruments – violin, clarinet and piano. They’re performed here by an illustrious roster of musicians violinist Darragh Morgan, clarinetist Kate Romano and pianist and composer Huw Watkins.
The clarinet sonata is particularly well-pitched, deftly balancing lyricism with modern harmonic langauge. The material has hints of Brahms, Horovitz, and a handful of other English romantics, yet retains originality originality without veering into self-indulgent obscurity.
The same can be said for the inventive violin variations and, especially, for the descriptive and compelling piano piece Jeux d’eau. Rudd-Jones song cycle Hardy in Love, performed here by tenor Ed Lyon, contains glorious expansive melodic lines underpinned with a beguiling contemporary romanticism. The ensemble achieves something rare: allowing the poetry to heard.
The project was supported by PRS Foundation The Open Fund, Oliver Quick, Hinrichsen Foundation, Vaughan Williams Foundation, The Finzi Trust, and The Bliss Trust.
