Following the outstanding acclaim offered to the first CD of this series, Prima Facie is proud to present Volume 2 of Kenneth Hamilton plays Ronald Stevenson.

Kenneth Hamilton, a former student, friend and colleague of the composer, performs Ronald Stevenson’s music with “understanding and brilliance” (Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 Record Review). Volume 2 features a riveting collection of Celtic pieces, including the coruscating Keening Sang for a Makar, Stevenson’s complete Purcell transcriptions, and the first recording of the wonderfully witty Threepenny Sonatina, based on themes from Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera.

Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015) was Scotland’s Franz Liszt - a fascinatingly fertile and highly contentious figure in the world of contemporary music: virtuoso composer-pianist, passionate polemicist and cultural crusader. Stevenson’s multifarious musical interests, left wing political leanings and enlightened Scottish nationalism led him to be labelled as a neo-Romantic reactionary, or even as a socialist-realist. But in the wake of his recent death, we can see him more clearly as a post-modernist born before his time, penning works of emotional intensity, imagination and vigour in a defiantly distinctive voice- producing some of the most thought-provoking piano music of the 20th century.

Described after a concerto performance as “an outstanding virtuoso - one of the finest players of his generation” (Moscow Kommersant), by the New York Times as a performer “of energy and wit”, and by Tom Service in The Guardian as “an all-round virtuoso”, Kenneth Hamilton performs worldwide as a recitalist, and broadcasts regularly on the BBC.

“Hamilton brings exactly the right degree of control to the unstoppable streams of musical ideas, without ever compromising their energy or technical brilliance.” - Andrew Clements, The Guardian

“All the pieces are tackled with real passion. This is an unmissable disc, and one waits impatiently for Volume Two.” - Colin Clarke, Fanfare

“A gorgeous recording and excellent performance...Kenneth Hamilton’s sumptuous tone is part of the treat.” - Jack Sullivan, American Record Review

“Kenneth Hamilton is quite magnificent...One marvels at Stevenson’s creative genius, particularly in performances as fine as these.” - Bruce Reader, The Classical Reviewer