Preludes by Mark Hodgkin
“They (the Preludes) are miniatures that really match well with some of the great solo guitar repertoire, for instance Tarrega: really, they’re that good.” – Haskins, American Record Guide (March/April 2021)
“Hodgkin clearly is a master guitarist limited only by his imagination, which is extensive. There is solid musicianship here, and also the desire—fully achieved, I will add—to create beauty, relaxation, and intellectual stimulation.” – Raymond Tuttle, Fanfare Magazine (Jan/Feb 2021)
Preludes is the debut release from composer/guitarist Mark Hodgkin and features eleven original contemporary works for solo guitar, performed by the composer.
The program begins with “Prelude No. 1”, a beautifully passionate and richly textured piece with a wide expressive range, while “Prelude No. 2” is imbued with a gentle, haunting beauty; “No. 3” has an almost scherzo quality, exuding a wonderfully playful mood with effective punctuations of minor-second intervals, while “No. 4” has a waltz-like quality characterised by engaging and imaginative harmonies; “No. 5” begins with a dampened string opening before breaking into a panoramic soundscape, while “No. 6” evokes an exotic melancholy; “No. 7” opens with an engaging stillness, while still being filled with a forward moving dramatic quality, while “No. 8” is playful and features a variety of guitar textures; “No. 9” is a gentle, sunny piece, while the final “No. 10” is an evocative and engaging close to the set; the bonus track “Barroco” exudes a fugal quality and grows in power and expression, a wonderful encore piece.
The music of Mark Hodgkin is tonal and richly melodic, yet imbued with an original expression and compositional voice – the works have a great sense of musical architecture and great form, and a great contrast of moods and emotions, as well as a wide-ranging melodic and thematic content; Mark Hodgkin’s performance is excellent, with a perfect sense of tempo & dynamics as well as poetic phrasing, and with a strong clarity of line that showcases the textural depth of the music – these are brilliant jewels of music in superb performance.
Preludes from composer/guitarist Mark Hodgkin is a great disc of a new contemporary repertoire for solo guitar from an original and masterful composer and performer.
- by Phoenix Classical
Meet The Artist Interview:
https://meettheartist.online/2020/12/01/mark-hodgkin-composer/
Tracklist
| 1. | Prelude No.1 | 3:32 |
| 2. | Prelude No.2 | 2:53 |
| 3. | Prelude No.3 | 2:36 |
| 4. | Prelude No.4 | 4:35 |
| 5. | Prelude No.5 | 6:08 |
| 6. | Prelude No.6 | 4:42 |
| 7. | Prelude No.7 | 6:14 |
| 8. | Prelude No.8 | 4:15 |
| 9. | Prelude No.9 | 4:45 |
| 10. | Prelude No.10 | 4:52 |
| 11. | Barroco (Bonus Track) | 4:10 |
Credits
All Music composed and performed by Mark Hodgkin
- Recording and Mixing: Mark Hodgkin
- Mastering: Mark Hodgkin & Fernando Ianni
- Photo: Mathew Hodgkin
- Cover Art: João Villas
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Mark Hodgkin began playing guitar at 13, and as his skills developed, so did his passion for composition.
In 2019, he released his debut classical album, Preludes, featuring ten original preludes composed between 2011 and 2019, plus an encore track. He then started the Duets for Flute and Guitar series, with ten pieces composed from late 2019 to early 2022.