Nevertheless, Cunliffe cleverly toys with our expectations.
Although the listener might feel like a delinquent teenager blowing bubblegum in a concert hall, Houstoun not only chisels away with his customary incisiveness, but also dishes out some pretty mean cocktail piano.
Cunliffe also provides an overture of sorts with a Jazz Rondo from his recent Piano Concerto. Mozartian echoes are deliberate, starting with a hint of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and this cute and witty musical entanglement bubbles away very agreeably for just over 11 minutes.
I wish I could be more enthusiastic about Cunliffe's original Warriors and Mike Nock's Raff Riff which do not quite register with the same individuality.
By all accounts, Houstoun and Jenny Wollerman's Between Darkness and Light, a recital of songs and piano pieces around the theme of night, worked well in concert.
On CD, alas, something is missing. Wollerman's intelligence and taste comes through in her chosen repertoire, from Brahms, Wolf and Prokofiev to curiosities from Andre Previn and Madeleine Dring.
Handsome packaging, with a cover by young Auckland artist Sholto Buck, includes thoughtful, idiomatic translations by the soprano herself.
However, too often these night visions register as rather chilly, with songs by Samuel Barber and Reynaldo Hahn requiring far more tonal warmth and richness.
Later, Faure and Strauss suffer from excessive vibrato, with the extremely stressed and exposed rendition of the well-known Morgen ushering in a rather bleak and cheerless sunrise.
Verdict: With Beethoven behind him, Michael Houstoun explores new territory, with mixed results
Concerti:
Between Darkness and Light:
