Varèse Sarabande has released The Music of Patrick Doyle: Solo Piano featuring original performances and arrangements by Oscar®-nominated composer Patrick Doyle. The collection features some of Patrick’s most revered compositions performed on piano by Doyle himself. The eighteen tracks include music from Sense and Sensibility, Great Expectations, Nanny McPhee, Gosford Park and Cinderella. Doyle’s career will also be celebrated later this year [2015] when he is presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent...

We've reviewed several Music of... compilation album for solo piano in recent years. These come in all shapes and sizes and can focus on one franchise (The Music of Battlestar Galactica for Piano Solo); genre (Music from The Walt Disney/Pixar Films Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles for Solo Piano) or are from across the board (Cinema Classics for Solo Piano; Piano Music From the Movies).

You'd think that an album based around one composers work would make more sense as there is more likely to be an audience of, say, John Barry fans who would be interested in hearing his work present in a very different style.

The only other composers work we've reviewed to date is The Film Music of Michael Nyman for Solo Piano (which saw a heavy inclusion of tracks from this score for The Piano).

What's both different and interesting about Doyle's album is that not only did he choose the tracks for inclusion, but he also plays each piece. This is very much a personal project for Doyle, and so anyone who is a huge fan of his will instantly love this intimate collection.

For me it wasn't something I'd really be all that interested in buying. I first discovered Doyle's music when I bought (and played to death) his beautiful score for Carlito's Way (1993) and since then haven't really being following his output (and have only reviewed his work on Cinderella; Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit; and Man to Man). Listening to this new release, I'm kind of wishing I'd kept more up-to-date with his output, because there are some beautiful and intricate themes here - enough that I'm going to be seeking out the full albums for a handful of tracks on this album.

While I have to give full marks to both the label and composer for what is truly a labour of love, I suppose it all comes down to whether you're a huge fan of piano music as to whether you will enjoy this or not.

Track listing:

01 - 'La Valse de l’Amour' from Cinderella
02 - 'Into The West' from Into The West
03 - 'Harry in Winter' from Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
04 - 'A Little Princess' from A Little Princess
05 - 'Weep You No More, Sad Fountains' from Sense And Sensibility
06 - 'My Father’s Favourite' from Sense And Sensibility
07 - 'Eva' from Igor
08 - 'Wistful Thinking' from Igor
09 - 'Estella' from Great Expectations
10 - 'I Find Your Love' from Calendar Girls
11 - 'Mrs. Brown’s Lullaby' from Nanny McPhee
12 - 'La Derive' from Indochine
13 - 'La Valse D’Evette' from Indochine
14 - 'Nouvelle France' from Nouvelle France
15 - 'Sigh No More' from Much Ado About Nothing
16 - 'Wah Wah Piano Suite' from Wah Wah
17 - 'Gosford Park' from Gosford Park
18 - 'St. Crispin’s Day' from Henry V

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Darren Rea