Alan Bush: Variations, Nocturne and Finale on an English Sea-Song for Piano and Orchestra
Alan Bush (1900-1995):
Variations,
Nocturne and
Finale on an
English Sea-Song for
Piano and
Orchestra (1962)
David Wilde, piano with the
BBC Symphony Orchestra,
Brian Priestman conducting
According to the Alan Bush
Music Trust website (
http://www.alanbushtrust.org.uk/) this work was originally composed for piano solo in
1956 and titled Nocturne for Piano, Op. 46. Then the composer revised it for piano and orchestra for its premiere at the1965
Cheltenham Festival.
Quoting the article, "The theme is an
18th century whalemen's ballad called '
Blow, ye winds'; and it is followed by 13 variations, of which the last three are in the style of piano studies, with orchestral accompaniment. The next movement is a Nocturne, which "evokes the nostalgia of a long voyage", while
the Finale suggests "the
...