Palladio Karl Jenkins Piano Sheet Music

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Riley Dyen

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Aug 3, 2024, 5:16:12 PM8/3/24

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Knighted by the Queen in 2015, Sir Karl Jenkins is established as one of the most performed living composers in the world, his music instantly recognised by anyone who takes even a casual interest in contemporary culture.

In this, his 75th birthday year, Jenkins celebrates his astonishing career with Karl Jenkins: Piano, a new recording from Decca Records with an accompanying sheet music collection published by Boosey & Hawkes, which is the subject of this review.

The Adiemus project eventually spawned five studio albums as well as live recordings and compilations. In his later works Jenkins built on his signature sound in the context of large-scale choral concert works such as the global hits The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (1999) and Requiem (2005), among many others.

When the Decca Records album appeared on Apple Music a couple of months ago, I must admit that I had misgivings about whether these solo piano versions of such beloved and epic music would succeed; even after listening to the recording a few times I was still in two minds.

In some cases, certainly, I found myself embellishing and expanding on the minimal score, a practice which I suspect (and must hope) Jenkins would heartily approve of. However, such musical shenanigans are not necessary in order to gain genuine satisfaction from these imaginative and exquisitely concentrated arrangements.

In his introduction, Jenkins underlines the point that he is not himself a virtuoso player; his arrangements would suit late-intermediate to early-advanced players (around UK Grade 4-7). They are no more than three minutes long in performance, and all comfortably succeed in making their mark within this humble time-frame, and using concise pianistic resources.

The transcriptions mirror those of the recording, although notably White Water appears as a solo piece here, while on the album it is a gorgeous duet (for which Jenkins is joined at the piano by his wife, the pianist, composer and well-loved educator Carol Barrett).

It is no wonder that any composer would arrange their music with sympathy for the originals, but the particular intelligence and aplomb with which Jenkins achieves this, though unsurprising, is hugely impressive.

The piano originals here are also well worth exploring. Quirky Blue will appeal to those who enjoy approachable jazzy piano pieces, while White Water is an impressionistic delight; both these pieces are at the top level of difficult within the collection, and would make excellent recital solos.