Tamsin Waley-Cohen‘s new album with Huw Watkins is released today on Signum Records. The violin and piano duo explore a violin and piano programme spanning four generations of musical imagination, with works by Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Oliver Knussen and Huw Watkins:
signumrecords.com/product/reflection/SIGCD968
Tamsin has written two blog posts for The Strad in which she talks about the album. The first is about the relationship working with Huw Watkins both as a pianist and a composer:
“Huw and I have known each other for more than 20 years and worked together closely for 15. I had long hoped that he would write something for me, and really for us, to play together. It felt the natural choice to include this gorgeous sonata on this album, as Huw has been one of the most important artistic influences in my life – like a musical older brother.”
www.thestrad.com/playing-hub/a-source-of-great-inspiration-tamsin-waley-cohen-on-the-world-premiere-recording-of-huw-watkins-sonata/20829.article
The second article is about the album’s title work: Reflection, by Oliver Knussen, the final work he composed, which was premiered by the duo 10 years ago:
“Huw and I have played Reflection now dozens of times around the world. It’s a piece that has become a part of both of us, and when I revisit it, it’s like opening the door to a dear friend. It’s a jewel, and its genius is such that we both still discover new delights in it now ten years on.”
www.thestrad.com/playing-hub/a-jewel-of-a-piece-tamsin-waley-cohen-remembers-oliver-knussen-through-his-final-composition/20830.article