McCartney Paul A Leaf for Piano (Faber)

A Leaf is Paul McCartney’s second composition in the classical idiom. Completed in 1994, ‘A Leaf’ was conceived for the intimate resources of a solo piano. McCartney gratefully acknowledges the invaluable contribution of John Fraser in bringing this work to fruition.

Its seven linked movements are for the most part reflective in character, expanding into bravura passages which the composer calls the ‘mountain peaks’ of the work. The climax of the fast fifth movement is the tallest of these peaks and an alternative version is provided for those pianists not yet ready to scale its heights.