Search - John O'Conor :: My Ireland

One of Ireland's most prominent musicians, pianist John O'Conor remains a secret too well-kept for many stateside music lovers. O'Conor has earned laurels as a Beethoven interpreter--particularly for his finely focused traversal of Beethoven's complete sonata cycle on Telarc--and for his advocacy of romantic Irish composer John Field. On My Ireland, O'Conor pays homage to the musical heritage he recalls experiencing as a child who tried out tin whistle and Irish folk dancing before gravitating toward the piano as his chief artistic outlet. The arrangements (by Mitch Farber) tastefully balance the soloist against the modest-sized ensemble of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, giving this album far more substance than the typically uninspired "crossover" endeavor. O'Conor's sensitive phrasings and robust rhythmic drive add color and lilt to these familiar melodies: his "Fantasy on the Irish Washerwoman" becomes a mini-tone poem, while "Danny Boy" actually has something fresh to say in the interplay between soloist and orchestra. With the current Irish Tenors mania in the air, this makes a compelling musical complement with which to savor the Emerald Isle's store of endlessly beguiling melodies. --Thomas May