It has been a momentous spring: in May, Decca Classics released Field: The Complete Nocturnes (for the first time on a single disc). Charting in the Top 10 of the Billboard classical chart, it has been praised by critics and listeners alike; the latest review in the NZ Herald gives it 5 STARS:
Roe's own booklet essay hails them as "a sort of universal music, transcending the bounds of geography and time, a reminder of Night's eternal allure and our enduring dreams of escape, oblivion and communion". Her persuasive interpretations easily support such claims and reveal a composer unjustly marginalised. What might have been museum pieces have life and vibrancy, through her restrained rubato and sensitive voicings, necessary when Field's textures don't always have the airy spaciousness of Chopin's.
She deftly moves from major to minor in the opening E flat Nocturne and massages the quite startling dissonances of another in A flat major. The potential finger tangles of a Nocturne pastorale are gracefully overcome and the beams of a noontide sun break out in a sprightly, sparkling "Nocturne caracteristique."
Elizabeth has maintained a busy touring schedule as well, performing across the US and in Asia. Performance highlights include a duo debut in Hong Kong, a three-concerto extravaganza with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, a sold-out concert of world premieres at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, and a chamber music residency at the University of Washington with Decoda. In addtion, the Anderson & Roe Piano wrote a foreword for the newly published edition of Piano Duet Repertoire.
Elizabeth and Greg will perform at music festivals throughout the summer; visit the calendar for details. And follow the duo on Instagram for the latest tour photos!