Tom Poster

Tom Poster

In Dance And Song

(Champs Hill Records)

When I first heard pianist Tom Poster, at the 2007 Scottish International Piano Competition, I was not exactly blown away. Since then, however, I have heard him on numerous occasions, in recital and concerto, and have been increasingly impressed by the versatility and clarity of his playing, the diversity of his repertoire and the intelligence of his interpretations. I am mightily impressed by his lovely new album, In Dance And Song, whose titling creates a context into which Poster pours an eclectic repertoire. The range is enormous, opening with a transcription of Gluck's Dance Of The Blessed Spirits and on through peasant dances by Grieg, folk songs by Bartok, Schubert's gorgeous G flat Impromptu, a Chopin Polonaise, a transparent account of Ravel's Pavane and two of Liszt's arrangements of Schumann's songs. There is also a revealing performance of the Shrove Tide Fair from Petrushka, where Poster changes the perspective of the piece, and the pianist's own transcription of Gershwin's Someone To Watch Over Me.

Michael Tumelty