May 22, 2019
Mark Bebbington's Bax and Cohen CD gets thrilling reviews

"With his rock-solid technical armoury and supreme composure, Bebbington brings thrilling power and intoxicating poetry to Bax’s turbulent, ruggedly beautiful inspiration, the sonata’s gorgeous Lento con molto espressione centrepiece delivered with especial perception."

 - Andrew Achenbach, Gramophone magazine

 

"Bebbington’s exciting playing is certainly robust and punchy, eminently well suited to Bax’s powerful writing, yet he can be sensitive when required. Playing a Steinway Model D, Bebbington made this album at the CBSO Centre, Birmingham; he has been closely recorded with a satisfying clarity that suits the passionate and crashing waves of sound that Bax regularly creates."

 - Michael Cookson, MusicWeb International

 

"Bebbington brings the same sterling advocacy to the 1935 Legend (alone here in being inspired by the pianism of someone other than Cohen, the Australian John Simons) and most marvellously to the gorgeous passacaglia In the Night, which dates from 1914. This does seem to have been something in the way of a private gift to Harriet Cohen, who loved its “dreamy and tranquil” opening, which builds to a blazing fortissimo climax before sinking slowly back into the dark land of dreams. Bebbington’s consummate poetry and subdued colours eclipse the work’s sole previous outing, on a Chandos disc with Eric Parkin."

 - Christopher Webber, arnoldbax.com

 

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