David Earl - 75th Birthday Tribute

Information

• Oxymorons – 24 Preludes
• Scenes from a South African Childhood

David Earl, piano & composition

Date: 2026

Label: SOMM Recordings

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In honor of David Earl’s 75th birthday, SOMM Recordings presents a tribute album celebrating the South African-born pianist and composer, lauded by The Times for his "stylish and powerful" artistry. The recording highlights two major solo piano cycles: Oxymorons – 24 Preludes (1993), a tonal journey through all twenty-four keys capturing miniature portraits of Earl's Oxford years, and Scenes from a South African Childhood (2013), a deeply personal suite evoking memories of his youth near Cape Town. Renowned for his vast catalogue of concertos, operas, and ballet scores, Earl delivers a substantial, highly evocative release that showcases his signature melodic depth and expressive craftsmanship.

South African-born composer and pianist David Earl (b. 1951) made his professional debut at age 16 before studying at Trinity College of Music in London. Praised early in his career by The Times for his "stylish and powerful" artistry, Earl has built an expansive catalogue that encompasses major ballets, concertos, film scores, operas—such as Mary and the Conqueror and Lawrence of Arabia—and solo piano cycles like Oxymorons and Scenes from a South African Childhood. A member of the piano faculty at Cambridge University, Earl was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2001, an influence reflected in his mature, expressive compositional repertoire.

High Resolution 24-bit / 44.1 kHz