another aspect of barber
This disc opens with a vigorous performance of the 1949 piano sonata. It does sound modern in parts but as Norman Lebrecht puts it, "Barber did not function well without melody". Indeed! The rest of the disc is melodious and quite light; aside from the popular styles of Souvenirs there's the Nocturne in homage to Field, and the "blues" of Excursions thinks about being Debussy but decides not to bother. If you want to explore Barber's music beyond the Adagio then this is one place to start.
