Peter Wesley & Liivi Arder

Description

The Contrabassoon isn’t often heard alone but Peter Wesley and Liivi Arder present a whole disc of music for the big brother of woodwind instruments. Inspired by Ruth Gipps wonderful evocation of Leviathan, a creature from the depths of the sea, the music ranges from Elgar and Saint-Saens to Blues and contemporary music, including the earliest solo for Contrabassoon by Erwin Schulhoff, the simple beauty of Julius Weissenborn’s soulful Arioso and a whistle-stop tour in Alan Ridout’s joyous Folies de Paris. Peter Wesley has played the Contrabassoon for over 30 years in BBC Orchestras and is ably accompanied in his first solo album by the wonderful Estonian pianist Liivi Arder.