[S Clark]

Wow! I heard this young composers work this weekend and was stunned by its power and beauty.  I thought that I was familiar with most of the important piano works--- wrong. Baines lived a short life, composing in the late 19teens and died in the early twenties at a very tender age of 23.  The Spanish Flu left him weakened and TB finished him off.  His work is hard to describe from the single exposure. At one moment Impressionist echoing Debussey, then a passage of Rachmaninoff surging power. He has only a limited # of recordings, with some of his compositions having never been recorded.  I have a copy of this coming, and if you don't already have it, you should too. http://www.amazon.com/William-Baines-J-Moeran-Piano/dp/B000XJ26K0/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1313382607&sr=1-2

[Randy]

I have this disc, too, and enjoy it. Baines apparently wrote some excellent but totally unknown and unperformed orchestral music. I once contacted Chandos records and suggested that they might be interested in recording some of it. I was told that my message was sent on to the late conductor Richard Hickox, but that was the last I ever heard about it. Baines would be an ideal candidate for Dutton which is recording a lot of unknown British music of that era.

[S Clark]

My copy hasn't arrived yet, and I'm eager to see if my first impression is born out upon further listening. 

[S Clark]

Here is a nice example of a piece that leans more to the French influence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mnsi6l3gpw