Percy Grainger
Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882–1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. A brilliant folk-song collector and arranger, he was also a restless experimenter whose work ranged from tuneful percussion to Free Music machines that foreshadowed electronic synthesis.
Born in Brighton, Victoria, he left Australia as a boy for study in Frankfurt, then made his name in London as a society and concert pianist while collecting English folk songs with a phonograph. Friendship with Grieg deepened his feeling for national music; settings such as Country Gardens, Molly on the Shore and Shepherd’s Hey later carried his name around the world.
From 1914 he lived in the United States, taking citizenship yet always calling himself Australian. Concert tours and teaching filled the decades; in the 1930s he founded the Grainger Museum in Melbourne as an archive of his life and work. He championed music beyond the European mainstream and, late in life, pursued Free Music unbound by fixed pitch or metre—sketches realised long afterwards on Full Spectrum (MD 3027).
His complete music for tuneful percussion, played on instruments he designed and left to the museum, is heard on Tuneful Percussion (MD 3222). Songs, brass and piano pieces, and transcriptions continue to appear across the catalogue, from art-song recitals to organ, cello and chamber programmes.
Compositions by Percy Grainger appear on
Tuneful Percussion
One of International Record Review’s “Best Discs of 2000”. Nominated for Best Classical CD at the 2001 Aria Awards. This album was performed on authentic instruments including Grainger’s own staff bells and steel marimba. Many previously unrecorded works are included.
Arranger
Bon Voyage!
Igor and Olga Piano Duo take the listener on a first-class musical journey, with their debut CD Bon Voyage, featuring inspirational piano duo pieces from around the world.
Organ at the Opera
One of Move's all-time best sellers! Sydney City organist Robert Ampt and Amy Johansen perform a program of popular organ duets on the famous Sydney Opera House organ.
Teamwork
An eminently listenable collection of piano pieces written for four and six hands. Romantic, brilliant and companionable by turns, this is an exciting, all-stops-out tour de force.
Arranger
Melbourne Sounds Grand
Thomas Heywood plays the Grand Concert Organ at the Melbourne Town Hall. With an enormous range of colour, dynamics and glorious, exciting orchestral sounds, the Grand Concert Organ in Melbourne’s Town Hall is a world-class instrument. In the grand concert organ tradition, brilliant organist Thomas Heywood performs a diverse programme of popular organ music particularly chosen for this instrument.
I Can Tell The World
This CD features saucy rounds, madrigals and drinking songs performed by one of Australia's best choirs, directed by Douglas Lawrence.
Tone-stuffs
This CD by the Melbourne Brass Ensemble features an interesting and varied programme by five Australian composers. The playing is dynamic and accurate; the sound is full and the acoustic of the recording is very true to life.
Full Spectrum
This early recording of Australian computer music includes Barry Conyngham's realisation of Percy Grainger's Free Music 1 and 2, as well as pieces by Tristram Cary, Warren Burt and Darius Clynes.
Music for Strings
Composers include Australians George Dreyfus, Percy Grainger, Roger Rooman and Desmond Grixti, with three European composers as a bonus. The Southern Cross Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Gerald Gentry.
Burns and Beyond
This recording Burns and Beyond comprises a selection of songs written for voice and modern piano, and includes a performance of Percy Grainger’s Three Scotch Folksongs which use ancient tunes of Scotland as inspiration.
Sparkling Keys
Sparkling Keys celebrates the successful creative partnership of the National Trust and the Team of Pianists. Over the past decade this has produced the popular winter series Twilight Chamber Music at Rippon Lea, plus concerts at other Trust properties including Como, Labassa, Illawarra and Barwon Park.
Worlds Apart
Worlds Apart features works for piano duet, two and three pianos from both ends of the globe. Includes the first Australian recording of the Bruch Concerto for two pianos and orchestra.
Hamilton
The Team of Pianists present a programme of excellent piano works for solo, duo and two pianos.