Album: Muse by Isata Kanneh-Mason (2021)
Genre: Classical
Record Label: Decca Music Group Ltd.
Format: Album

Description: “The whole of this album is full of great music, some of which has really inspired us,” pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason tells Apple Music. “I think that really fits the title of Muse.” True, but while the Barber and Rachmaninoff cello sonatas and song arrangements (one of the songs is called “The Muse”) are perfectly suited to Isata and her cellist brother, Sheku, this album’s title refers just as much to them both as musicians. After all, a muse is often a person who can kindle the very best in someone. As part of one of the world’s most gifted musical families, Isata and Sheku have been performing together since they were very young—and have long been raising each other to new heights. “Most of the repertoire that I’ve played for cello and piano has always been with Isata,” says Sheku. “It’s been a great inspiration to be able to play with Isata for so many years.” “We know each other’s playing very well,” adds Isata, “so there’s an element of trust. Of course, we need to work together on the music and the detail, but there’s no awkward bumpiness with the playing.” 
The music on this thrilling album—Sheku and Isata’s debut as a duo—showcases the piano as much as it does the cello. Hardly surprising in the case of Russian composer Rachmaninoff, who was arguably the finest pianist of the 20th century. The Barber sonata here, meanwhile, surely owes its heart-on-sleeve romanticism and irresistible vitality to the fact that it was written by the 21-year-old US composer while still at music college in New York. “We looked through a lot of Rachmaninoff and Barber songs, and all of them seemed to work well on the cello,” agrees Sheku. “It was just a case of picking our favourite ones and also having a variety of character and styles.” Read on as the siblings share their thoughts on those favourites. 
Cello Sonata, Op. 6
Sheku Kanneh-Mason: “The sonata isn’t actually that long, but it feels like there’s so much detail packed into it. There’s never a second where there’s no drama happening. It’s always travelling somewhere or approaching a climax. But the climaxes themselves never last for very long—they grow and come down again very quickly. Barber is very inventive and distinct harmonically, and in the middle of the second movement he experiments with intricate rhythms and notes. But then he has these wonderful romantic melodies, too.” 
Songs by Samuel Barber
IKM: “We didn’t know these pieces until we started searching for songs to go on this album, so they’re new to us and they’re so beautiful. What I like about them is that they’re very, very short. But Barber depicts the character of each of them immediately. He doesn’t need more than two or three minutes to paint an entire world. We read the lyrics and really tried to bring that feeling to the songs, even though we obviously don’t have a voice. So, for ‘Sure on this Shining Night, Op. 13 No. 3’, the lyrics are expressing a deep love and appreciation of nature. You can hear that in the long, repeated chords in the piano. It sounds very ‘open plan’. The sustained notes in the cello give the whole thing a very reverent feel.” 
Songs by Sergei Rachmaninoff
IKM: “The Rachmaninoff songs are so incredibly poetic—the English translation can’t do it justice! Particularly in ‘The Muse’, which became the album’s title, the emotion is so vivid that you almost don’t really need to know what it’s about. Rachmaninoff’s use of harmony in that song, in particular, is really incredible. The chords that he’ll transition between is something that you don’t hear anywhere else. It’s very unexpected, but it really works. And there’s a very nostalgic feeling to the song, too.”
SKM: “These songs are so rich and so expansive. ‘The Muse’ is so dreamlike in the way it starts with the rippling piano. It’s like you’re entering a dreamworld. But it ends in the same way, so you go through this amazing journey in this incredibly detailed and rich world, and then you just end it, almost as if nothing has happened.” 
Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19
IKM: “The Rachmaninoff was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. Sheku and I have known it since our childhood, and it’s always been the piece of chamber music I most wanted to play, in terms of cello and piano sonatas. I remember the first couple of times I performed it, though, I always felt like I needed a long break after every single movement because each one is like a symphony when it comes to the emotion and the musical content, but also in terms of the technical demands on each instrument. And then, at the same time, it’s such a beautiful piece of music. It’s instantly accessible, but the closer you step to the music, the more detail there is to find. We thought we knew the piece very well before we started playing it. And then, as we worked on it, as months went by, we found more details.” 
SKM: “I think the third moment is one of the greatest pieces of music ever. It’s so expressive and romantic. It’s one of cellists’ favourite things to be able to play. For us, the second movement was the one that we really, really enjoyed playing together. It’s very vivid in terms of the image that it paints.”

Artist Background: Isata Kanneh-Mason was born in Britain in 1996 and grew up in Nottingham. Her father, Stuart Mason, is a business executive of Antiguan background; her mother, Kadiatu Kanneh, is a university educator born in Sierra Leone and has chronicled her experiences in the book Raising the Kanneh-Masons. Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pianist movement. Known for Classical style.

Related Artists: Bruce Liu, Stephen Hough, Mao Fujita, George Li

Music Scene: Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pianist movement. Known for Classical style.

Tags: Classical, 2020s, Album, Decca Music Group Ltd.

“The whole of this album is full of great music, some of which has really inspired us,” pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason tells Apple Music. “I think that really fits the title of Muse.” True, but while the Barber and Rachmaninoff cello sonatas and song arrangements (one of the songs is called “The Muse”) are perfectly suited to Isata and her cellist brother, Sheku, this album’s title refers just as much to them both as musicians. After all, a muse is often a person who can kindle the very best in someone. As part of one of the world’s most gifted musical families, Isata and Sheku have been performing together since they were very young—and have long been raising each other to new heights. “Most of the repertoire that I’ve played for cello and piano has always been with Isata,” says Sheku. “It’s been a great inspiration to be able to play with Isata for so many years.” “We know each other’s playing very well,” adds Isata, “so there’s an element of trust. Of course, we need to work together on the music and the detail, but there’s no awkward bumpiness with the playing.” 
The music on this thrilling album—Sheku and Isata’s debut as a duo—showcases the piano as much as it does the cello. Hardly surprising in the case of Russian composer Rachmaninoff, who was arguably the finest pianist of the 20th century. The Barber sonata here, meanwhile, surely owes its heart-on-sleeve romanticism and irresistible vitality to the fact that it was written by the 21-year-old US composer while still at music college in New York. “We looked through a lot of Rachmaninoff and Barber songs, and all of them seemed to work well on the cello,” agrees Sheku. “It was just a case of picking our favourite ones and also having a variety of character and styles.” Read on as the siblings share their thoughts on those favourites. 
Cello Sonata, Op. 6
Sheku Kanneh-Mason: “The sonata isn’t actually that long, but it feels like there’s so much detail packed into it. There’s never a second where there’s no drama happening. It’s always travelling somewhere or approaching a climax. But the climaxes themselves never last for very long—they grow and come down again very quickly. Barber is very inventive and distinct harmonically, and in the middle of the second movement he experiments with intricate rhythms and notes. But then he has these wonderful romantic melodies, too.” 
Songs by Samuel Barber
IKM: “We didn’t know these pieces until we started searching for songs to go on this album, so they’re new to us and they’re so beautiful. What I like about them is that they’re very, very short. But Barber depicts the character of each of them immediately. He doesn’t need more than two or three minutes to paint an entire world. We read the lyrics and really tried to bring that feeling to the songs, even though we obviously don’t have a voice. So, for ‘Sure on this Shining Night, Op. 13 No. 3’, the lyrics are expressing a deep love and appreciation of nature. You can hear that in the long, repeated chords in the piano. It sounds very ‘open plan’. The sustained notes in the cello give the whole thing a very reverent feel.” 
Songs by Sergei Rachmaninoff
IKM: “The Rachmaninoff songs are so incredibly poetic—the English translation can’t do it justice! Particularly in ‘The Muse’, which became the album’s title, the emotion is so vivid that you almost don’t really need to know what it’s about. Rachmaninoff’s use of harmony in that song, in particular, is really incredible. The chords that he’ll transition between is something that you don’t hear anywhere else. It’s very unexpected, but it really works. And there’s a very nostalgic feeling to the song, too.”
SKM: “These songs are so rich and so expansive. ‘The Muse’ is so dreamlike in the way it starts with the rippling piano. It’s like you’re entering a dreamworld. But it ends in the same way, so you go through this amazing journey in this incredibly detailed and rich world, and then you just end it, almost as if nothing has happened.” 
Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19
IKM: “The Rachmaninoff was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. Sheku and I have known it since our childhood, and it’s always been the piece of chamber music I most wanted to play, in terms of cello and piano sonatas. I remember the first couple of times I performed it, though, I always felt like I needed a long break after every single movement because each one is like a symphony when it comes to the emotion and the musical content, but also in terms of the technical demands on each instrument. And then, at the same time, it’s such a beautiful piece of music. It’s instantly accessible, but the closer you step to the music, the more detail there is to find. We thought we knew the piece very well before we started playing it. And then, as we worked on it, as months went by, we found more details.” 
SKM: “I think the third moment is one of the greatest pieces of music ever. It’s so expressive and romantic. It’s one of cellists’ favourite things to be able to play. For us, the second movement was the one that we really, really enjoyed playing together. It’s very vivid in terms of the image that it paints.”

Album: Romance: The Piano Music of Clara Schumann by Isata Kanneh-Mason (2019)
Genre: Classical
Format: Album

Description: British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason’s debut album is a homage to the 19th-century pianist and composer Clara Schumann. “I first heard her second scherzo,” Kanneh-Mason tells Apple Music, “and I was really drawn to how passionate and fiery it sounded. I couldn't believe that I didn't know more of her music, so when I found out that [2019] was the anniversary year, it just seemed the perfect time to do a project like this.” This is music that she hopes will become part of the standard repertoire. “I definitely want to come back to Clara Schumann’s music throughout my life,” she adds. And you couldn’t imagine a more exciting advocate for this music than Kanneh-Mason: Here, she proves herself as fine a chamber musician as she is a soloist—a rare quality indeed. Let one of classical music’s rising stars take you through an album that’s rich in variety and musical insights. 
Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7
“Schumann started writing her piano concerto at 13, and I was amazed at how virtuosic and complex the piano writing is. Not only had she written the music, but she could also play it at that age, too, which is really impressive. Some of the piano writing is quite awkward: It feels similar to Chopin, but it’s so rewarding to play. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic were amazing in the sessions, and we had similar music ideas about how we wanted to approach the piece.” 
3 Romances for Piano, Op. 11
“The three romances came early on in Clara Schumann’s compositional journey. The music’s quite simple and childlike in style. But there’s an underlying sense of melancholy, too—Clara wrote the romances a year before marrying Robert Schumann and she was under a lot of strain [her father had tried to prevent the marriage]. I find them really powerful.” 
Scherzo No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 14
“This was the piece that drew me into Clara Schumann’s music. I first heard the scherzo in 2018 and thought it sounded so exciting and passionate. The way she uses harmonic tension feels really agitated and I love that. It’s short, but there’s so much inside the music. This was probably the most difficult piece to record because you need so much energy and passion. When you're doing it over and over again, it gets quite tiring!” 
3 Romances, Op. 22
“I’ve always admired violinist Elena Urioste’s playing and thought she had the perfect sound for these romances. She has a great instinct for chamber music—even though it was our first time playing together, we connected quite quickly. I actually prefer chamber music to solo playing because you're not alone onstage and you can feed off the energy of your music partner.” 
Myrthen, Op. 25: 1. “Widmung” (Arr. Clara Schumann) and Liederkreis, Op. 39: 5. “Mondnacht” (Arr. Clara Schumann)
“I wanted to represent Robert Schumann in the album, and how he was such a big part of her life. She used to edit his songs and correct the mistakes. I like her piano arrangements because she keeps the simplicity of these two songs without adding extra flourishes, but she also captures their beauty. ‘Widmung’ (‘Dedication’) has this big flying element to it and it’s very passionate, whereas ‘Mondnacht’ (‘Moonlit Night’) is much more peaceful. But they’re both equally beautiful.” 
Piano Sonata in G Minor
“This sonata was never published in her lifetime, which is really interesting. No one’s been able to find out why, but she seems to have written it for Robert Schumann for a Christmas present during the early years of their marriage. All four movements are fairly short but musically very complex. It’s such a shame that she never performed it, because it’s such a great piece. It’s challenging to play, but so rewarding.”

Artist Background: Isata Kanneh-Mason was born in Britain in 1996 and grew up in Nottingham. Her father, Stuart Mason, is a business executive of Antiguan background; her mother, Kadiatu Kanneh, is a university educator born in Sierra Leone and has chronicled her experiences in the book Raising the Kanneh-Masons. Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pianist movement. Known for Classical style.

Related Artists: Bruce Liu, Stephen Hough, Mao Fujita, George Li

Music Scene: Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pianist movement. Known for Classical style.

Tags: Classical, 2010s, Album

British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason’s debut album is a homage to the 19th-century pianist and composer Clara Schumann. “I first heard her second scherzo,” Kanneh-Mason tells Apple Music, “and I was really drawn to how passionate and fiery it sounded. I couldn't believe that I didn't know more of her music, so when I found out that [2019] was the anniversary year, it just seemed the perfect time to do a project like this.” This is music that she hopes will become part of the standard repertoire. “I definitely want to come back to Clara Schumann’s music throughout my life,” she adds. And you couldn’t imagine a more exciting advocate for this music than Kanneh-Mason: Here, she proves herself as fine a chamber musician as she is a soloist—a rare quality indeed. Let one of classical music’s rising stars take you through an album that’s rich in variety and musical insights. 
Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7
“Schumann started writing her piano concerto at 13, and I was amazed at how virtuosic and complex the piano writing is. Not only had she written the music, but she could also play it at that age, too, which is really impressive. Some of the piano writing is quite awkward: It feels similar to Chopin, but it’s so rewarding to play. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic were amazing in the sessions, and we had similar music ideas about how we wanted to approach the piece.” 
3 Romances for Piano, Op. 11
“The three romances came early on in Clara Schumann’s compositional journey. The music’s quite simple and childlike in style. But there’s an underlying sense of melancholy, too—Clara wrote the romances a year before marrying Robert Schumann and she was under a lot of strain [her father had tried to prevent the marriage]. I find them really powerful.” 
Scherzo No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 14
“This was the piece that drew me into Clara Schumann’s music. I first heard the scherzo in 2018 and thought it sounded so exciting and passionate. The way she uses harmonic tension feels really agitated and I love that. It’s short, but there’s so much inside the music. This was probably the most difficult piece to record because you need so much energy and passion. When you're doing it over and over again, it gets quite tiring!” 
3 Romances, Op. 22
“I’ve always admired violinist Elena Urioste’s playing and thought she had the perfect sound for these romances. She has a great instinct for chamber music—even though it was our first time playing together, we connected quite quickly. I actually prefer chamber music to solo playing because you're not alone onstage and you can feed off the energy of your music partner.” 
Myrthen, Op. 25: 1. “Widmung” (Arr. Clara Schumann) and Liederkreis, Op. 39: 5. “Mondnacht” (Arr. Clara Schumann)
“I wanted to represent Robert Schumann in the album, and how he was such a big part of her life. She used to edit his songs and correct the mistakes. I like her piano arrangements because she keeps the simplicity of these two songs without adding extra flourishes, but she also captures their beauty. ‘Widmung’ (‘Dedication’) has this big flying element to it and it’s very passionate, whereas ‘Mondnacht’ (‘Moonlit Night’) is much more peaceful. But they’re both equally beautiful.” 
Piano Sonata in G Minor
“This sonata was never published in her lifetime, which is really interesting. No one’s been able to find out why, but she seems to have written it for Robert Schumann for a Christmas present during the early years of their marriage. All four movements are fairly short but musically very complex. It’s such a shame that she never performed it, because it’s such a great piece. It’s challenging to play, but so rewarding.”

Album: Summertime by Isata Kanneh-Mason (2021)
Genre: Classical
Record Label: Decca Music Group Ltd.
Format: Album

Description: For her second album, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason turns to American music for inspiration. Its name, Summertime, may be the title of one of Gershwin’s greatest songs—heard here in a joyful, virtuosic transcription by legendary pianist Earl Wild—but this collection is all about Samuel Barber’s great Piano Sonata, a mighty work that draws on 20th-century European modernism while stealing glances towards Hollywood and Broadway. It’s a work of staggering variety and its playful, sinister opening movement, doleful second and almost Shostakovich-esque finale earn it a rightful place in the pantheon of piano masterpieces. The versatile Kanneh-Mason is a masterful guide, as she is when showcasing other, lesser-known works by Amy Beach (a shamefully neglected giant of American music), Aaron Copland and 19th-century English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, whose arrangements of three spirituals provide an emotional coda.

Artist Background: Isata Kanneh-Mason was born in Britain in 1996 and grew up in Nottingham. Her father, Stuart Mason, is a business executive of Antiguan background; her mother, Kadiatu Kanneh, is a university educator born in Sierra Leone and has chronicled her experiences in the book Raising the Kanneh-Masons. Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pianist movement. Known for Classical style.

Related Artists: Bruce Liu, Stephen Hough, Mao Fujita, George Li

Music Scene: Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pianist movement. Known for Classical style.

Tags: Classical, 2020s, Album, Decca Music Group Ltd.

For her second album, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason turns to American music for inspiration. Its name, Summertime, may be the title of one of Gershwin’s greatest songs—heard here in a joyful, virtuosic transcription by legendary pianist Earl Wild—but this collection is all about Samuel Barber’s great Piano Sonata, a mighty work that draws on 20th-century European modernism while stealing glances towards Hollywood and Broadway. It’s a work of staggering variety and its playful, sinister opening movement, doleful second and almost Shostakovich-esque finale earn it a rightful place in the pantheon of piano masterpieces. The versatile Kanneh-Mason is a masterful guide, as she is when showcasing other, lesser-known works by Amy Beach (a shamefully neglected giant of American music), Aaron Copland and 19th-century English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, whose arrangements of three spirituals provide an emotional coda.

Isata Kanneh-Mason

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