“21st Century Romantic” – Jackson Berkey, pianist/composer, Steinway D Grand & Sperrhake-Passau 2-manual pedal harpsichord = Rainydark & Firelight; Time Twisters; Vivaldi’s Winter; 24 Nocturnes; Suite for Two Pianos; Playin’ in the Buff; JJ’s Toy Box; BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in E Major Op. 109 – Bobby Kunkle & JJ Toy, second pianos – Soli Deo Gloria SDG CD091-2 (2 CDs), 47:43, 62:10 ****:
Although not mentioned in the album notes, Jackson Berkey is the co-founder and keyboardist of the popular Mannheim Steamroller ensemble. I recall in the early days of the Steamroller he issued some 45rpm 12-inch audiophile discs of solo piano that were excellent in both sound and performance. Here he is again, with some selections from the over 350 works he has composed, plus a Beethoven piano sonata from his archives. He plans for this to be the first of a series of recordings of his compositions.
The first disc opens with a solo piano version of a piece that is then the centerpiece of a two-piano suite on the second disc: Rainydark & Firelight. Berkey, who is headquartered in Omaha, is active with a choral group known as Soli deo Gloria and has written many choral works for them and others. He uses a quote from an early choral work in the opening the piano piece. Another theme in the piece is reminiscent of Robert Schumann. Berkey’s Time Twisters are five miniatures which play with asymmetric rhythms. He has also taken five selections from his 24 Nocturnes, which follow a harmonic organization similar to both Bach’s and Shostakovitch’s Preludes and Fugues as well as Chopin’s 24 Preludes – that of each being in the 12 major and 12 minor keys. His pieces also emulate certain well-known composers (some identified and some not), including Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Ginastera and Prokofiev.
The two two-piano suites on the second disc are a delight. The first of the Suite’s three movements uses a rather minimalist 16th-note pattern, broken up by short bursts of high energy Latin rhythms. This illustrates Berkey’s favored crossover approach. The short harpsichord work between the double-piano suites is so named because of its use of the “buff” stop for a lute-like sound. JJ’s Toy Box was written by Berkey for his 12-year-old student, to address his specific technical needs at the piano. His performance of the Beethoven Sonata in E Major comes from 1988 and closes out this interesting program of piano music.
– John Sunier
