Alec Wilder - Music for Piano, Vol. III (John Noel Roberts)

Information

Composer: Alec Wilder

1. Such a Tender Night
2. Dance Man Buys a Farm
3. Boston Lullaby Waltz
4. Featherfall
5. Bittersweet
6. Seldom the Sun
7. A Debutante's Diary
8. Gavotte
9. Gentle Ways
10. A Taste
11. Walking Home in Spring
12. Neurotic Goldfish
13. A Small Tribute to Elegance
14. Name Calling
15. Jazz Tango
16. She'll Be Seven in May
17. House Detective Registers
18. It's So Peaceful in the Country

John Noel Roberts, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Albany Records

_____________________

American composer Alec Wilder (1907–1980) was a prolific yet self-effacing eccentric whose vast, multi-genre output was largely preserved through devoted friends. On this album, pianist John Noel Roberts offers an empathetic exploration of Wilder's colorful, nomadic legacy. Roberts masterfully bridges the composer's stylistic fluctuations, navigating fluidly between the rhythmic nuances of the Jazz Age and the expressive depths of Romanticism. Through sensitive, deeply congenial interpretations, Roberts adeptly decrypts the hidden threads of these multifaceted works. Ultimately, this performance provides crucial clarity to Wilder’s famously enigmatic musical voice, ensuring the composer is finally and profoundly understood.

Acclaimed Steinway Artist and educator John Noel Roberts is an internationally renowned pianist celebrated for his technical mastery and expressive breadth. Armed with a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Yale University, Roberts has performed solo and concerto repertoires across global stages, including Carnegie Hall. His distinguished discography features highly praised recordings of Chopin, Brahms, and a landmark two-volume survey of Alec Wilder's piano works on Albany Records, which critics lauded for its sensitivity and phrasing. Formerly a resident artist in Australia, Roberts has also held prominent music faculty positions at numerous prestigious American universities.