Hugh Tinney: A Portrait

Hugh Tinney chose the works on this disc through attachment and association: the two Bach preludes he played in grade exams; Chopin's Barcarolle brought Feis success at 14; Schubert's late B flat Sonata is an ongoing relationship from the age of 15; and Debussy's Images he first studied under Louis Kentner. Tinney is arguably the most tonally sophisticated of Irish pianists, and the repertoire here fully shows his range. The fine detailing some- times comes at the expense of flow in the Schubert, but the colours in the Debussy are gorgeous, and the two works by living composers – Gerald Barry's flighty Swinging Tripes and Trillibubkins and Tom Johnson's calmly rolling Euler Harmonies – make a good contrast.