Record Reviews
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  | LOST WORLD ~ AWAKENING OF THE ELEMENTS
MUSEA 4695 (Barcode: 3426300046956) ~ RUSSIA ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006
2nd album by the Russian Prog trio Lost World. Formed in the early 1990s, the group consist of Vassily SolovievFind albums by this artist (flute & percussion), Andrii DidorenkoFind albums by this artist (guitars, bass & violins) and Alexander AkimovFind albums by this artist (keyboards & percussion). All the musicians are well schooled and highly skilled and playing a wide array of instruments between themselves enables them to create highly complex and dense sound vistas.
Although they released several informal albums over the years, the first formal album was released in 2003 (TrajectoriesFind albums with this title) and this is a most anticipated follow up. Didorenko composed all the music except one track, which is an adaptation of a Dmitri ShostakovichFind albums by this artist chamber piece.
The entire atmosphere of the album can be described as electric Chamber music, typical of Easter European Prog, which is deeply rooted in the classical tradition. This is fascinating stuff, which requires repetitive listening to be truly appreciated, but hold many intricate gems and wonderful musical ideas. Highly recommended!
| | Updated: 17/10/2022Posted: | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | ANETA MAJEROVA ~ MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG: CHILDREN`S NOTEBOOKS
ANIMAL MUSIC 096 (Barcode: 8594155997299) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Classical
Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021
This is a solo piano album by Slovak pianist Aneta MajerovaFind albums by this artist, who performs three cycles of short piano pieces, called “Children’s Notebooks”, by Polish / Jewish composer Mieczyslaw WeinbergFind albums by this artist (well he was never really Mieczyslaw, but Moses or Mojsze).
Weinberg, who was born in Poland in 1919, graduated from the Warsaw Conservatory in 1939 and escaped the Nazi invasion fleeing to Russia soon after, while his entire family perished in concentration camps. When WWII was over, Weinberg decided to stay in Russia, and continued his illustrious career as a composer there. He was a close friend of Dmitri ShostakovichFind albums by this artist and the two were in daily contact. Weinberg died in 1996 and left a sublime legacy of modern Classical Music, which is still waiting to be discovered by the world. His life story could be a subject of an epic movie, and his music in a bottomless treasure chest of marvels.
The three cycles included on this album are his relatively early works (opus 16, 19 and 23 from 1944-45), but are astonishingly mature and diverse, expressing his early influences, including some of Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist’s lyricism and Polish Folklore nuances, but already showing his modernist compositional approach. Majerova recorded already Weinberg’s Piano Quintet on her earlier release for Animal MusicFind albums on this label, but recordings of his music are criminally few and far between.
Overall, this is a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the music of one of the greatest 20th Century Classical Music composers, hopefully opening a window for future explorations of his music. The music is brilliantly performed and recorded and every true music lover should be absolutely delighted by listening to it. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 21/12/2024Posted: 17/10/2022 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | PIOTR ORZECHOWSKI ~ PIANOHOOLIGAN
NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion
Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011
Polish pianist / composer Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. PianohooliganFind albums by this artist) is at the moment the youngest Polish Jazz piano star. Tenderly aged 21 he already has an impressive CV, which many much older musicians could envy, which includes winning several competitions both as instrumentalist and composer. Classically trained, he discovered Jazz as a teenager and has been active on the Jazz scene since. His nickname "Pianohooligan" is quite appropriate for his disregard of music conventions, which he does not hesitate to break at every possible occasion.
This incredible debut demo recording, presents him both as a pianist and composer, in the most difficult setting as a solo performer. The music included starts with a prelude by Johann Sebastian BachFind albums by this artist, continues with an eight-part scherzo composed by Orzechowski, followed by a Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist tune and finally concludes with a fugue by Dmitri ShostakovichFind albums by this artist. This strange collage of musical pieces makes perfect sense when performed by Orzechowski, even though at the first glance one might wonder what all this music has in common.
His incredible virtuosity and individuality, as well as his great sense of melody, harmony and rhythm manage to produce a coherent musical experience, which brigs the listener many moments of bliss and supreme musical joy. The attempt to fuse Classical music and Jazz in this case works beautifully, proving yet again that great music is cross-genre and universally aesthetically perfect. The treatment of the Classical pieces is genuinely sublime and the original music is masterfully crafted. Overall it is a great album from start to finish and honestly quite scary, considering the age of its creator. For people of such talent sky is the only limit!
| | Updated: 18/10/2022Posted: | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
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