Unusual programme with works by John Palmer

“...this passionate and elegant pianist who composes in a modern lyrical idiom. He is familiar with new sonorities, with the poetic orientations of Debussy, with the pianistic technique of Bartok and equally with the character of his English fellow-compatriot Benjamin Britten. Indeed, John Palmer concentrates upon an impressive musical brightness, radiant tone colours, and his tone pictures are far more than merely unrestrained ramblings. In fact, he continuously uses well-defined formal structures, catchy motives and themes with recurrent developments and variations in each single part, as in, for instance, Song For You. This piece was surely not conceived as a “song for you all, the large audience”, but as a sort of “confession to you” covering a whole gamut of emotions. The piece is composed in the traditional A-B-A form and the rhythmically straight pizzicato playing of the double bass created a surprising contrast to the lyrical passages of the piano.
The title of the piano piece Poem For The Absurd reminds one of similar grotesque titles by the French avant-guarde composer Eric Satie. However, with the ambiguous “absurd” Palmer certainly does not refer to dissonances of any sort. Despite the passionate blocks of chords and the flamboyant melodic passages in whole-tone scales, the piece is neither ugly nor intentionally brutal. It is a zig-zag through different tonal areas and yet with a regular return to the charming. The same applies to Trio For Bill Evans where the short first movement is thoughtful and discreet, the second rich in melodic expressivity, especially in the flute and cello parts, and the third movement, technically very demanding, is written in a lively and sparkling saltarello-style. The polished interplay of the three musicians was a very enjoyable and pleasant experience with an impressive impact on the audience.”

Landbote, 12th July 1988 (Translation by Sue Watson, 1990)