Jacqueline Schwab plays with an easy-going gentility that makes her the perfect choice to record a solo piano CD of English Country Dance tunes. The tunes themselves have an air of 18th century nobility, which, when combined with Schwab’s kaleidoscopic playing style, soar to majestic heights while maintaining their melodic simplicity.
Schwab’s playing style is much like that of the Impressionist painters of the 19th century. The notes beneath her fingers are like dots of paint on a canvas – simple when taken by themselves, but forming an intricate image when viewed as a whole. The patterns of colors she can produce by her crisp, clear, almost staccato style blur into a warm and fuzzy image unlike much else heard before or since on the piano.
Although Schwab is an accomplished Country Dance accompanist, this recording does not attempt to imitate her style of playing when accompanying dancers. The tempos are freer and the emotions are more widely represented. While the tempos are not quite suitable for dancing, the give and take of the beat allows the music to speak to the heart. Schwab’s depth of talent and passion are beautifully displayed through this collection of tunes.
Most of the tunes are historic English Country Dance tunes, dating from the 1600s and 1700s, including such well-known pieces as “The Beggar Boy,” “Mad Robin,” “Easter Thursday,” “Jacob Hall’s Jig,” “Cheshire Rounds,” and “The Dressed Ship.” There is a wonderful, upbeat American dance tune of the 1780s, called “The Young Widow.” There are several Celtic airs, used to vary the texture and rhythm; my favorite of which is the Scottish Gaelic tune, “Glen of Thickets.” Schwab’s arrangement captures the feeling of watching a world from a distance, as if holding the scene in a tiny snow globe.
Also included are several more contemporary pieces, such as the 1930s English dance tune used by choreographers Marjorie Heffer and William Porter, “Cupid’s Garden.” The recording ends with a very contemporary tune, written by Brian Jenkins, called “Smithy Hill.” This tune has a melancholy air, calling the dancers to reflect on the day’s events. It’s a perfect ending to a beautiful recording.
Fans of English Country Dance tunes and fans of the piano should both add this recording to their collections. Also, be sure to give a listen to Jacqueline Schwab’s work with Laura Risk on the Dorian release Celtic Dialogue.
(Midsummer Recordings, 1996)
