John Alan Rose (b1972) is an American composer-pianist, not to be confused with the older British composers John Rose (b1928, a disc of whose string quartets and piano pieces is available on Divine Art) or John Luke Rose (b1933; performances can be found on YouTube). He performs in a duo with his soprano wife, the aptly named Sing Rose, featured here in the offbeat and light-hearted Ticket to the Theater. He is clearly a capable pianist, with both sets of the Chopin Études in his repertoire, as can be heard from his virtuoso performance in the Piano Concerto (completed in 2011, I believe; the composer’s website is not very helpful for details – no list of works, for instance).

The Piano Concerto is the main event, its 12 minute first movement inspired by The Hobbit. Rose writes in his notes that ‘each chapter of the book’ received ‘equal musical treatment … helping create the form and structure’. The tiny succeeding Lullaby (composed for his then newly born daughter) and overlong March, however, are not based on Tolkien, though continue in much the same character. The music has a winning charm, not unlike early Prokofiev, though little of Tolkien’s high endeavour.

Both Old Father Time and 25,000 Years of Peace are concertante works, the one for cello and the other for violin. Once again, the music smiles amiably throughout its discourse, though the latter wears a little thin towards the close. The performances are very fine – some fleeting edgy intonation from Moni Simeonov aside – particularly from the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, and Navona’s sound is first-rate.