John France reviews Christopher Guild’s CD

(from musicweb international)
Ronald STEVENSON (1928-2015)

Piano Music – Volume 2
Frank MERRICK (1886-1981)
Hebridean Seascape (c.1935/1986) [13:05]
Three Scots Fairy Tales (1967) [3:15]
A Carlyle Suite (1995) [20:18]
Rory Dall Morison’s Harp Book (1978) [17:04]
Three Scottish Ballads (1973) [9:48]
Savourna STEVENSON (b.1961)
Lament for a Blind Harper (1986) [3:01]
All works transcribed by Ronald Stevenson
Christopher Guild (piano)
rec. 5 & 12 June 2016(?), Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0388 [66:37]

I was confused. When I knew that I was receiving a CD of Ronald Stevenson’s piano music to review, I mistakenly assumed that it was a second volume to Murray McLachlan’s outstanding triple-disc set on Divine Art (dda21372). I had already reviewed this CD back in 2013. As it turned out, the CD in question was the second instalment of Christopher Guild’s survey for Toccata Records. Preparing for this review, I was reminded that there is yet another exploration of Stevenson’s music underway. The first volume of Kenneth Hamilton’s study of the composer’s music appeared in July 2016 (Prima Facie PFCD050). I have not heard this disc. Add to this five versions of the magisterial DSCH Passacaglia and several other discs devoted in whole or part to this repertoire, it seems that Ronald Stevenson’s piano music has suddenly become hot property.
read on….