Baines - The Lone Wreck

"The Lone Wreck" from Tides (1920)

William Baines (1899-1922) was not quite the "English Stanchinsky," but certainly died too young before making a lasting impression on music history. A self-taught pianist and composer, Baines made ends meet by working as a cinema pianist; in his free time, he composed (mostly for himself) music that embraced the Romanticism of Chopin, Rachmaninov, and early Scriabin. Throughout his teenage years he produced an astounding 200 plus compositions. Although he wrote a gigantic symphony and a vast output of chamber, vocal, and piano music, much of it has been dismissed by scholars as trivial.

However, one musicologist notes that "His music can verge on banality and then as effortlessly touch the sublime with a candour some contemporaries found hard to accept: nobody save perhaps Alkan, could have written such disparate pieces..." Due to his precocious talent, some have argued that he was a genius while others lambaste the notion. English composer Joseph Holbrooke asks, "Why quibble over the use of the word 'genius'? Is it not enough that he has written a wealth of beautiful music?"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• baines
• rachmaninov
• scriabin
• chopin
• schumann

[123eldest]

dont call it a song in front of hexameron^^

[123eldest]

More Baines please =]

[abdnumber4]

That was superb. I really love that run around 0:33 with the quintuplet. It really captures a vast openness. When I hear it, I can picture the wrecked ship beneath the cold waves, the calm, clear depths of the ocean undisturbed. Perhaps with a few rays of light trickling down around the ships resting place.

[paulinaluc]

I love it!

[andrewnorris2]

Thanks for posting this. I was great to follow the score. Sadly, not living in the UK I could not see the BBC film but years ago I remember a Radio 4 play, 'Goodnight to Flamboro'. Does anybody else? I was so moved by it that Baines returns to 'haunt' me regularly, and I would not have it any other way.

[Sloppyff]

sat 3/9/11 BBC Radio 4 Extra 0600 Drama 0n 3 - Douglas Hodge stars as composer William Baines, who died at 23, in his most prolific stage.

[driemaaldrommels]

who is the pianist of this lovely piece of music? :) great upload as usual! :)

[TheWanderingNight]

I'm heading to imslp right now.

[CammehYaBams]

love it.

[lexarsepa]

Huh, I was relistening to Alkan's Esquisses the other day and I just realized how similar this piece and Les soupirs (Esquisses, op. 63 No 11) are.

[Malaka57]

@owatson322utube What do you mean by that?

[lexarsepa]

@clotter234567 You can find a CD on amazon.com or itunes. It is titled "Piano Music of William Baines" and includes his Twilight Pieces, Silverpoints, Colored Leaves, Tides (which is this and another piece), and his Seven Preludes. It is quite a wonderful CD and highly recommended.