David Dubery (b. 1948)
Music for woodwinds and piano
Sergio Castelló López (clarinet), Stephane Rancourt (oboe), Amy Yule (flute)
Paul Janes (piano)
Zoe Beyers (violin), Simon Turner (cello)
rec. 2024, Carole Nash Hall, Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester, UK
Prima Facie PFCD256 [74]

All those who read Homer’s Iliad will recall the monstrous, fire-breathing hybrid – part lion, part goat and part serpent – slain by the hero Bellerophon riding Pegasus. Dubery recollects that he visited the Archaeological Museum in Florence to see the Etruscan bronze, Chimera de Arezzo (400BC). But ‘chimera’ also means something wildly illusory, a fanciful dazzling conception. The composer told me that Chimera is “about the unpredictability of the scheming beast – weighing up situations and being deceptive”. He has united all these meanings in his musical picture of the beastie, devised for clarinet and piano. He has revised it heavily in recent years. In its six minutes, there is a stuttering opening section, a lugubrious slow passage, a dance and a reprise of the opening. Nothing very fearsome here. There is lovely piano writing and vivid woodwind passages.

I think that ‘sonatina’ can be a disparaging term, a reminder of interminable grade studies. But then think of the so-called Sonatinas by John Ireland and Maurice Ravel; they are hardly studies for the tyro. Dubery’s Sonatina for clarinet and piano began as a piece for recorder and piano. He explains that he was attracted to the “bolder colour palette, character and dynamics of the clarinet”, so he revised the original.

The Sonatina is in four easy-going movements, beginning with a lively syncopated Moderato poco Scherzoso with two barely contrasting themes. The Lento has two elements: a kind of Theocritean pastoral, and animated interjections which sound like “startled birds”.  Movements three and four are combined on one track and played without pause. The instruction “affrettando” is not one I have come across often; my vade mecum tells me that it means “pressing forward” or “with increasing urgency”; that describes this music perfectly. It concludes with a “rustic dance”. This splendid Sonatina sounds anything but easy. It would make a wonderful contribution to the programme for any recitalist.

My favourite number on this disc is Music for an Untold Story, scored for flute and piano. Dubery has suggested that it reflects his love of the cinema, theatre and crime fiction. I am not sure about the latter. Everything tells me that this is a romance in the spirit of a “Brief Encounter”. Or is it an intrigue set during WW2? The lovely Rachmaninovian piano passages  accompany some delightful flute passages. The piece was edited in 2016 and 2024.

Remembering Satie, again for flute and piano, needs a little explaining. The composer recalls that he had developed a piano miniature inspired by “an alfresco lunch in my garden on a hot summer day”. Suddenly there was a “mini dust devil” or small, short‑lived whirlwind that “upended the plates and napkins as well as raising soil, grass, and dead leaves”. Then there was a moment of stillness… Dubery was reminded at the time of a Satie Gymnopédie. In 2024, he rescored the original piano version for flute and piano. This lovely, relaxed work truly pays homage to the eccentric Frenchman from Honfleur. Yet, there is little impression of the Dust Devil himself in the detail.

Hommage – In Olden Days is a relatively straightforward work in three-part form, with an introduction and coda. It was written during the Covid pandemic but based on an earlier sketch. The liner notes correctly suggest the influence of Francis Poulenc. It is an attractive piece that becomes increasingly enthusiastic as it progresses.

The important Sonata for oboe and piano is subtitled Since Dawn is Breaking. The programme notes explain that it was inspired by Paul Verlaine’s poem, Puisque l’aube grandit. The poem does not appear in the booklet. Here is a helpful summary: at daybreak, the speaker feels hope rising again after a long absence, as though morning itself restores the possibility of happiness. They imagine moving forward through life guided by the beloved’s eyes lighting the way, their hand steadying his own – no matter whether the path is soft and mossy or rough and stony. To ease the journey, he pictures himself singing simple tunes, comforted by the thought that the beloved will listen without displeasure. For him, that gentle acceptance is enough; he desires no paradise beyond being heard and accompanied by them.

Each movement focuses on a different emotion based on the three verses of the poem. The first presents an introspective pastoral image before exploring a much more optimistic mood. The second movement is a love song, where the “piano and oboe lovingly entwine”. And the finale is a triumphant paean of “joy and happiness” infused by jazzy rhythms, a quieter interlude and an exultant coda. To be sure, the Sonata makes for easy listening even divorced from the poem and programme. The language recalls Poulenc at times, with interesting touches of neo-classicism and English pastoral.

The final piece is a travelogue. The Piano Trio Tre Giorni (Three Days) was inspired by a holiday at Lake Como in Italy, and by the surrounding landscape. Dubery gives an incredibly detailed synopsis of the historical and visual background for each movement. The first day, Giorno 1, explores Corenno Plinio, a timeless medieval hamlet that clings to the eastern shore of the lake, crowned by its castle, stone stairways, and ancient walls… Here the movement opens with “lake waters lapping the pebbled shore”, and is succeeded by a scherzo which depicts the “sun dancing” on the lake. A brazen passage suggests the numerous battles fought here by the Lombards, then some windsurfers drift by; finally, quiet is restored in the late afternoon.

The long Giorno 2 meditates on the Abbazia di Santa Maria di Piona. It opens with a “Lark Ascending” violin solo, based on a setting of the Agnus Dei. Prayerful music follows, but suddenly it is a question of “Ring out, wild Bells”. What a change of mood! The monks’ prayer is then resumed. Giorno 3 is a fantasy about the Villa de Vecchi. This abandoned Lombard mansion is steeped in legend: eclectic 19th‑century architecture, vanished grandeur, graffiti-covered walls, whispered tragedies, occult rumours and ghost‑lore. Its crumbling halls draws seekers of mystery and decay. Dubery’s take on all this is almost indescribable. There are shrieks, dripping water and recollections of children at play in happier days, all expounded in a style sometimes minimalistic, sometimes dissonant. ‘Highly charged and melodramatic’ is the best description of the movement which brings this remarkable piano trio to a satisfying conclusion.

Irrespective of whether the listener observes this “programme”, this attractive, impressive music can easily stand on its own feet.

David Dubery, born in South Africa, is a British composer, pianist and vocal coach whose works fuse lyrical clarity with a strong feel for landscape and narrative. Based in Lancashire since 1961, he studied at the Northern School of Music in Manchester in 1964-1972, including a post-graduate year. He then built a career as performer, teacher and collaborator. His output spans songs, chamber music and characterful scores for woodwind, often inspired by poetry and shaped by his experience working with singers and instrumentalists.

The performances here, sympathetic and technically assured, give a worthy account of this remarkable chamber music. Dubery wrote the liner notes, an entertaining and informative discussion of all the pieces. Included are biographical notes on the composer and the performers.

This attractive disc features lovely, lyrical and interesting music, which clearly comes from the heart. Each of these works should be championed in the recital room.

John France

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Contents
Chimera for clarinet and piano (1984, rev. 2016, 2021, 2024)
Sonatina for clarinet and piano (1989, 2016)
Music for an untold story for flute and piano (1981)
Remembering Satie for flute and piano (2024)
Hommage in an olden style for oboe and piano (2021)
Sonata for oboe and piano – Since dawn is breaking (1981-1982)
Piano Trio Tre Giorni for piano, violin and cello (2013-2016)