Released in conjunction with the his new book Fire On All Sides (published by Quercus), this is the soundtrack to James Rhodes’ intimate exploration of what it’s like to be a celebrated pianist embarking on a world tour, when you have multiple voices jostling in your head, sabotaging your happiness and sapping your confidence.
James Rhodes writes:
“So in 2016 I did an extensive tour of around twenty cities in a few short weeks. I wrote a book about it called Fire on All Sides and this recording is the soundtrack to that book. Like every other area of my life, it’s heavily based on fantasy. A huge thanks for all of those who came to the gigs and to these immense composers for supplying the meds and tools required to put out the fire.”
★★★★ There is real pain in the pivotal chords that shift the mood in the last movement of Beethoven’s piano sonata No. 31 in A flat major; aching tenderness and stately grandeur in two Chopin nocturnes… and glorious triumph against the odds in Rachmaninov’s prelude in D flat minor – The Observer
Just try withstanding its heart-melting properties. Just try – Primephonic
He commendably follows the MS staccato opening…and prolongs the musical argument masterly – International Piano
Fire on All Sides is the soundtrack to James Rhodes’s intimate expression of what it is like to be a celebrated pianist embarking on a world tour – Northern Echo
