Keyboard Studies features three works composed by the great American minimalist in the mid-1960. These recordings date from the 1970s, and are played by highly respected British pianist John Tilbury- one piece is for piano. One is for piano, electric organ, harpsichord & celeste, and one is for electric piano.
 

The CD on UK’s Another Timbre comes presented in the labels house style mini and minimal white gatefold. With the front cover featuring a very tone-fitting three-colour grid illustration of interlocking triangle patterns.  All the three compositions here were written by Mr Riley between the years 1964/ 65. With the releases, minimal liner notes informing us that Tilbury recorded the tracks at some point in the late ’70s/ early 80s in Hamburg.
 
First up we have “Keyboard Study No. 1”, which runs just shy of the eighteen-minute mark, and is for piano. The track is built around focused and rapidly cascading notation, which as it progresses seems to add in note shifts. At moments these shifts almost suggest a melody, at others, they don’t as the repetition sets in and deepens, until of course, the next change occurs. Also, due to the fixed and continually rolling structure of the work, it feels like at points the whole thing is either slowing or speeding up-but the reality is I suspect the speed of the whole work is fairly fixed and set.
 
Next, we have “Keyboard Study No.2”- this runs at just under the thirty-one-minute mark, and is for piano, electric organ, harpsichord & Celeste.  Once again, we are dealing with a set and fixed selection of notes- which are been played at a rapid rate. On this track, with of course the different tones of the three utilized instruments- we get a richer, and more layered feeling of cascading notation- with at moments the whole become completely entrancing in its flow, which seems to expand on for infinity- like the sonic equivalent of been sat between two mirrors.  Again at points it feels like the whole thing is slowing, then really speeding up- with at moments the whole thing seemingly blurring, but of course, once again this is a trick of the composition.

Lastly, we have “Dorian Reeds” it’s for an electric organ, and comes in at just under the twenty-three-minute mark. The feel/ flow of this track seems brighter more pulsing in its repetition- and at points, we hear wonderful bobbing off into middle-distance subtones appear in the continuous flow of notation. Also due to the tone of the organ, we get this wonderful feeling of layers building, then receding- as they are soon replaced by others.  There seems to be an almost regal pipe-piper gone into the early digital age feel to some of the patterns, which sometime almost form melody lines.

In finishing it certainly is wonderful to see these vintage recordings by Tibury resurfacing, and let us hope there are more in the archive- not just of Riley’s work, but of course of other key modern composers. If you have any interest in minimalist composition- be it musical or non-musical this release is something, you’ll be wanting to pick up!.