Adam Herd: From Shadows: Anatoly Lyadov, Sergei Rachmaninov, Carl Vine, Astor Piazzolla

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Music brought into the spotlight by the young Adam Gordon Herd, and coming from Coffs Harbour as he does, where sunshine is a major part of the deal, there is a good deal of wattage condensed into the spotlight he wields. In the CD notes, in conversation with Hannah Reardon-Smith, Herd describes his thinking in making this selection, though it was such hard work keeping a magnifier steady over the minute print I gave up worrying about that, and why he chose this music, and who she is, and simply let him play. Good decision. This performance is so full of enthusiasm, drive, delicacy, power and precision it is enough just to hear it. Herd’s playing sparkles clean and sharp, well clear of any shadows, as if he sees his music reflected in crystalline shards off the surface of the ocean he surfs in.

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All four of these works are captivating, 64 minutes of hundred percent romantic piano music, full of mood and colour and far enough off the beaten track to reward close attention. Herd’s selections and his performance bring those five stars securely home regardless of the inadequacies of the packaging, mainly that print, which means you go without knowing much more about the music than what it sounds like, and the absence of any information in the iTunes presentation other than a list of untitled tracks. But it would still sound good in a brown paper bag. A first-rate addition to the already crowded ranks of piano solo recordings.

Phil Vendy