A bright beginning: Three Sonatas reveals the distinctive voice of young composer Sam Rudd-Jones in a disc of chamber music that intrigues

Sam Rudd-Jones: Three Sonatas, Variations, Jeux d’eau, Hardy in Love; Darragh Morgan, Kate Romano, Huw Watkins, Sam Rudd-Jones, Ed Lyon; Prima Facie
Reviewed 4 November 2024

A remarkable debut, a disc of chamber music by 25-year-old Sam Rudd-Jones reveals a distinctive voice with a compositional talent that intrigues and makes you look forward to what comes next

This new disc from Prima Facie, Three Sonatas, presents the debut collection of chamber music by the young (born 1999) composer Sam Rudd-Jones. The disc features Three Sonatas, performed by Darragh Morgan (violin), Kate Romano (clarinet), and Huw Watkins (piano), Variations performed by Darragh Morgan, Jeux d’eau performed by Sam Rudd-Jones and Hardy in Love performed by Ed Lyon (tenor) and Huw Watkins.

For a disc that includes works with titles referencing traditional forms such as sonata and variations, it is perhaps surprising to read in Rudd-Jones’ booklet notes that ‘Much of the rhythm in my compositions comes from contemporary electronic music. This music is built from grooves, which are repeating rhythmic patterns that encourage dance.‘ But if you listen to the music and continue reading Rudd-Jones’ thoughtful essay, you realise that this is not dance music, Rudd-Jones is simply utilising one genre to revitalise another, and he comments ‘For me the true utility of a groove is that its regularity creates an easily intelligible structure, on which one can hang more unorthodox approaches to harmony and timbre.‘ 

You would certainly be hard put to dance to this music, and it has a thoughtful, melancholy aspect for much of the time.  There is technical complexity here too as Rudd-Jones explains how his use of groove enables sophisticated control of the apparent time of the music, slowing down and speeding up at will, thus giving him another weapon in his armoury.

Rudd-Jones comes with a distinguished pedigree, he studied at King’s College, University of Cambridge with Richard Causton (2018-2022), privately with Julian Anderson (2023-2024), and is now commencing study towards a PhD with George Benjamin at King’s College London. Intriguingly, we are informed by the press release that he ‘also releases electronic music under his own name.’ [there is a playlist on YouTube] 

The disc begins with Three Sonatas which is an intelligent interweaving of forms as we have single movement violin, clarinet and trio sonatas linked by interludes. The result is a substantial 30 minute work which has a solidity to it without trying too hard to emulate the past. Rudd-Jones’ voice is very much his own. His style, his use of ‘groove’ for want of a better word, is to establish a rhythmic texture, often multi-layered and then use harmony and instrumentation to colour this and create particular affekts. So that, in the Violin Sonata we can read passages as first and second subjects, or simply let them float past as affekts. Violin Sonata has a sense of constant movement to it, the music metamorphosing and changing yet staying constant. Clarinet Sonata begins dark and thoughtful before moving onto something far more fleet and you feel the movement is all about the mediation between these two affekts. With Trio Sonata we have all three instruments, creating vivid textures and an appealing trio feel as Rudd-Jones seems to enjoy himself exploring what it means to have these three different, and differently coloured instruments together. Having heard this, I feel someone should commission a piano trio from the young man.

Variations is written for unaccompanied violin, a tour de force of imagination and playing. The work is a theme and nine variations, each one focusing on a particular aspect of violin technique. Rudd-Jones imaginatively fills in the textures, we are never really dependent on a single line. As such, Morgan’s technique is challenge and our ears are tickled by a variety of imaginative textures. 

Jeux d’eaux is played by Rudd-Jones himself, this is ten minutes or so of concentrated introspection allied to elaborate textures. These are complex and challenging, yet never seem designed to show off Rudd-Jones’ pianistic prowess, instead they modulate the textures to create a constantly shifting patchwork of colours and timbres. The fundamental feel of the work is thoughtful, perhaps almost melancholy. As with much else on the disc, Rudd-Jones seems to delight in confounding expectations.

The final work on the disc is a trio of settings of poems by Thomas Hardy. These are the earliest works on the disc, written between the ages of 17 and 19. The first At the Word ‘Farewell has a lyric tenor line, ardently sung by Ed Lyon, over another one of Rudd-Jones quasi-grooves in the piano. The setting unfolds with the text. How Great my Grief is quieter and more concentrated, the piano forming a chilly web around Lyon’s voice. The Voice is constructed in a similar manner, but is more demonstrative yet there are passages which take Lyon well up above the stave into falsetto.

The disc benefits from sympathetic and idiomatic performances from all concerned, thus revealing Rudd-Jones distinctive voice. The disc is a remarkable achievement, not so much a culmination as a bright beginning and the disc makes you intrigued what will come next.

Sam Rudd-Jones (born 1999) – Three Sonatas (2019-2023)
Sam Rudd-Jones – Variations (2023)
Sam Rudd-Jones – Jeux d’eau (2022)
Sam Rudd-Jones – Hardy in Love (2026-2018)
Darragh Morgan (violin)
Kate Romano (clarinet)
Huw Watkins (piano)
Sam Rudd-Jones (piano)
Recorded at Stapleford Granary Concert Hall on 19 & 20 March 2024
Prima Facie PFCD242 1CD [72.28]