Record Reviews

EWA LIPSKA / ZBIGNIEW PREISNER ~ 2016 DOKAD? UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602557360660 (Barcode: 602557360660) ~ POLAND ~ Sung Poetry Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a live recording of a concert, which presents a series of compositions by composer Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist with texts by poetess Ewa LipskaFind albums by this artist. The music is performed by several vocalists, including Lisa GerrardFind albums by this artist, Edyta KrzemienFind albums by this artist and others, a large mixed choir and many instrumentalists, including pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, organist Jozef SkrzekFind albums by this artist, percussionist Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist and others. Both Lipska and Preisner also contribute spoken / sung parts. The 2CD album presents twenty-two tracks, which are also available on the enclosed DVD. The music, which encompasses Classical, Folkloristic and Popular music elements, offers a form of a contemporary oratorio, but the subject matter is completely secular, and touches on deeply philosophical / political / social matters, which trouble the Polish society, as much today as it did through the ages. Lipska’s tongue, sharp as a razor, is completely ruthless and slaughters holly cows by the dozen, often shockingly “in the face”, which often is the only way to jiggle people out of their lethargy. Preisner’s music fits the “wild” and provocative lyrics perfectly, creating an amalgam of somber, deadly serious atmosphere with seemingly lighter interludes of cabaret-like textures. Of course one can always ponder on the effectiveness of “protesting” in Art, and the realization that even the most talented human beings, like Allen GinsbergFind albums by this artist and the entire Beat Generation, or Bob DylanFind albums by this artist and the entire Protest Generation, or Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, or Julian TuwimFind albums by this artist managed to change anything in the long run, prevent wars, social injustice or human stupidity. And yet, the Artists simply must do, what they do, since they just wouldn’t be Artists if they wouldn’t do what they do, hoping that someone will hear what they mean. Overall, this is a monumental stage enterprise, which forces the listener to face a mirror, and which uses an entire arsenal of Cultural armament: music, poetry, spoken word, etc. to make one simple, but powerful statement: “wake up! I consider myself extremely happy to be able to count several of the protagonist of this ambitious masterpiece as my friends. Thank you for the words and the sounds!

Updated: 24/05/2024Posted: 24/05/2024

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ZBIGNIEW PREISNER / LISA GERRARD ~ IT`S NOT TOO LATE PREISNER PRODUCTIONS 003 (Barcode: 5903111904050) ~ POLAND ~ Special Products Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is a new chapter in the continuous cooperation between Polish composer Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist and Australian vocalist / composer Lisa GerrardFind albums by this artist. In addition to Gerrard’s vocals, the music is created by Preisner, who plays the Hammond organ and other instruments, pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, cellist Magdalena PlutaFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Jerzy GlowczewskiFind albums by this artist. The vocals were recorded at the Synagogue in a small town of Bobowa in southern Poland and the instrumental parts in Preisner’s studio. The album presents nine tracks, five co-composed by Preisner and Gerrard, three composed by Preisner and one partly based on a piece from the soundtrack of the film “Man Of God”, composed by Preisner. Gerrard sings in her metaphysical language. As usual with Preisner’s projects, the music is simply beyond classification. Obviously, considering his legacy as a cinematic composer, cinematic music comes instinctively to mind, by that would be a gross simplification, as cinematic music basically means nothing beyond music written specifically for cinema. The music on this album builds an entire universe of musical associations, encompassing Classical, Sacred, Contemplative, Ceremonial and so on, but honestly the most important is the emotional message this music is trying to convey, which offers a rainbow of sensations between deep despair and elated hope. Obviously deeply influenced by the reality of the world we live in, including the calamities of Pandemic and War, this music tries to rise a ray of hope, as the title suggests. The music is very minimalistic, restrained and slowly developing, with an aura of a medieval piety, Jewish prayer, operatic arias and Ambient meditative vistas, led by Gerrard’s virtuosic vocals and delicately supported by instrumental passages, with occasional solos by the piano, cello or saxophone. The vocals are encircled by the sublime natural echo of the Synagogue, which inspires the very special ambience of the entire album. Gerrard’s vocal improvisations are Godly in every respect, not surprising but always stunning anew, and combined with the music and instrumental support sound perhaps more convincing here than ever before. Both Preisner and Gerrard are natural phenomena of epic proportions, and combined here enhance and complement each other in a perfect win-win manifestation. Overall, this is a deeply moving album and a very unique piece of music, which is completely universal, ageless and borderless musically. Created by an amalgam of great talents and deep conviction, this is an example of music which is able to move mountains. Thank you, my Friends, for the gift of music!

Updated: 22/10/2022Posted: 22/10/2022

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ZBIGNIEW PREISNER / LISA GERRARD / DOMINIK WANIA ~ MELODIES OF MY YOUTH UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602577665387 (Barcode: 602577665387) ~ POLAND ~ Special Products Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the second album that presents music by the distinguished Polish composer Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist, which is performed by top Polish Jazz pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist (see the album "TwilightFind albums with this title"), this time also featuring the Australian vocal Diva Lisa GerrardFind albums by this artist, who often cooperates with Preisner in various projects. The album presents nine original compositions, seven composed by Preisner and two co-composed by Preisner and Gerrard. The music, as always with Preisner, is deeply lyrical and melancholic, combines multi genre elements and invokes cinematic visions. The minimalist piano / vocals format creates a deeply romantic atmosphere on one hand but also incredible tension and anticipation, which is even more emphasized by the usage of Gerrard´s "metaphysical language", which consists of nonexistent "words", which can be freely interpreted by the listener and sound like any language that is subconsciously in the listener´s head. The musical format is somewhat similar to the Classical lieder and song cycles sung in solons across Europe in the 19th Century. And yet the music itself is essentially East European, both Slavic and Jewish, wonderfully brought back to existence by Preisner´s imagination. Gerrard´s vocal parts are absolutely stunning, which is hardly surprising in view of her career. For me her ability to identify herself completely with the musical origins on this album, which are not her "natural" cultural habitat, is simply out of this world. Wania, who leaves the focus of interest to Gerrard, as appropriate for the concept, is a sublime accompanist both technically and emotionally. Although on this album he has very little opportunity to solo, his delicate interludes, intros and outros and his playing behind the vocals are all impeccable. Although more closely related to his Classical education rather than to his Jazz explorations, he fully shows his aesthetics and incredible sensitivity, which are always part of his every recording project. The great facet of Preisner´s music is always the feeling of familiarity it creates, even if this is the first time one hears it. He is always able to pull the right soul strings, which are common to all true music lovers. Overall this is a beautiful, highly unusual and yet strangely familiar music, which is universal in its directness and intrinsic splendor. Completely avoiding any labeling, this music is simply breathtakingly penetrating!

Updated: 04/11/2020Posted: 04/11/2020

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ZBIGNIEW PREISNER / DOMINIK WANIA ~ TWILIGHT UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602577477812 (Barcode: 602577477812) ~ POLAND ~ Special Products Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is a sensational album which presents the music by celebrated Polish composer Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist, known as one of the most important cinematic contemporary music Masters, performed by virtuoso Polish pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, who in the last decade conquered the Polish Jazz piano scene without much competition. The nine solo piano pieces composed by Preisner and interpreted by Wania present on this album are a magical window into the souls of both of these great Artists. Last year, during the 2018 Haifa Film Festival, which celebrated the music of Preisner, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend many hours in his company, which provided ample opportunity to discuss music, philosophy, and life in general, while exchanging anecdotes and enjoying food together. Preisner the person turned out to be every bit as fascinating as his music. Preisner´s music is always characterized by several basic qualities, which are intrinsically embedded into the fabric of the sonic visions he creates. They are melody, simplicity and melancholy. Anybody familiar with Preisner´s music is obviously aware of the fact that his music offers some of the most beautiful melodies to appear in cinematic music, which have an universal appeal capturing millions of music (and obviously cinema) lovers the world over. But his music also eschews complexity and unnecessary ornamentation, leaving the ground first and foremost to the melody. He is absolutely right when he states that no amount of sophistication and extrovert decoration is able to do anything, when the melody is lacking, and when the melody is great, not much more is needed. As to the melancholy, or even more precisely the typical "Polish Melancholy", which his music almost epitomizes, it is simply something that comes completely naturally to him, as it in fact happened to all great Polish composes since Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist. Dominik Wania is undoubtedly a great virtuoso, but his virtuosity is only one of his many qualities, which distinguish him from most of the other excellent piano players on the Polish scene. The most important of his qualities is his ability to find his very own adaptation of any kind of music he sets forward to perform. His Jazz recordings over the years prove his incredible stylistic diversity and sensitivity, finding him often in diametrically different musical surroundings, but there is not even one case which finds him unable to deal with the music at hand and that in the most spectacular way imaginable. This album offers best of the two worlds: the wonderful compositions by Preisner with the incredible interpretation of these compositions by Wania. The pieces are all beautifully melodic and simple and melancholic, true pearls of Preisner´s creative powers. Wania´s fingertips take these melodies into his own world, adding his very own, often very subtle but always very evocative interpretation, which floats like another layer over the basic melody. The overall result is delicate, often minimalist, reflective and heartfelt, with the music achieving a state of a mantra lingering in the air. I recall when Preisner told me about this project when we met and I assured him that he could have not found a more suitable piano Master than Wania to uplift his compositions to another emotional / spiritual level, this of course before I heard the music. After hearing the music it became obvious that his (and mine) instincts were just right on and the result turned out to be simply outstanding. I don’t like to use "big" words in vain, but this album puts two Geniuses together, and thanks to Higher Powers the combined qualities simply came together like a dream. I can hardly imagine any true music connoisseur staying impartial to this music, which I have played often since I first received it, finding it always striking directly at my heart in days of low and high. I hope many more people can enjoy the same level of musical bliss!

Updated: 01/07/2019Posted: 01/07/2019

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MIKOLAJ TRZASKA ~ KLER (SOUNDTRACK) KILOGRAM 039 ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2017 - 2018 Released: 2019 The close cooperation between a film director and a cinematic music composer, which last for many years, is quite a common phenomenon in the Film industry, and of course has its long tradition in Polish cinema as well. Such famous couplings include Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist – Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof KieslowskiFind albums by this artist – Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist and of course also Wojciech SmarzowskiFind albums by this artist – Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist. Trzaska wrote the music for all the films by Smarzowski ("Dom Zly", "Roza", "Drogowka", "Pod Mocnym Aniolem", "Wolyn" and "Kler"), except for his debut film ("Wesele"). Trzaska, one of the leaders of Polish Free Jazz / Avant-Garde / Improvised Music scene, seems to find himself at ease with writing music for films, which of course works quite differently than his usual modus operandi on stage or in the studio, surrounded by other improvisers. The magic that happens when Smarzowski´s often harsh, shocking and deeply troubling visual expressionism gets combined with Trzaska´s music, and the two fit together perfectly, as if created in one mind. Trzaska, who plays saxophones and clarinets, involved in creating this music the "usual suspects", i.e. artists he worked with earlier, like clarinetist Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist, Danish vibraphonist / drummer Peter Ole JorgensenFind albums by this artist, multimedia Artist / musician Marek RogulskiFind albums by this artist and The Sejny Theater Klezmer OrchestraFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Trzaska, which last together for almost thirty seven minutes, and served as a source of the incidental music incorporated within the film. As usual in the case of film soundtracks released as stand alone albums the crucial test is if the music is able to hold its ground on its own, without the presence of the visual element being involved. Trzaska managed to achieve this with his previous cinematic projects and he does not disappoint here as well. The album delivers a coherent, quite diverse series of atmospheric / ambient pieces, which are a fascinating journey, and the listener is able to create his own scenography and plot on the fly or simple accept the music on a purely emotional plane. Although not involved directly with Jazz per se, the spirit of improvisation is an integral part of this music, as appropriate for Trzaska and his usual sound environment. It takes a while to enter this enigmatic world of sounds, but the more one listens to this music the more addictive it becomes. I have but to agree with Smarzowski (who writes so on the album´s cover) that this album is very much different from the film, which of course is pretty obvious, but the overall effect of Trzaska´s music is absolutely phenomenal on its own. I am grateful to be able to call this great Artist a Friend!

Updated: 19/02/2020Posted: 19/02/2020

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DOMINIK WANIA ~ LONELY SHADOWS ECM 2686 (Barcode: 602508695834) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 As astonishing as this might sound and in complete contrast to his extensive recording legacy and the hurricane-like ascent to the position of top Polish Jazz piano chair during a record time of just over a decade, this is only the second album as a leader by pianist / composer Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and of course his debut album as a leader for the prestigious ECMFind albums on this label label. Some twelve years ago (2008) my friend, the great Polish Jazz bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist, sent me a duo album he recorded with a young and anonymous Polish pianist, who was over the pond in Boston getting his Master of Music degree there. The name of the young pianist was Dominik Wania and the album was "Sketch In BlueFind albums with this title", and the rest is history as far as I am concerned. I was immediate smitten with Wania´s playing and followed his development ever since, listening carefully to every recording he made over time and of course tried to hear him perform live whenever I could. The modern Polish Jazz has known many remarkable pianists over the last six decades, who contributed to the development of the local scene. Some of them became famous and made many important recordings, others exploded with youthful brilliance only to disappear soon after without a trace. Each and every one of them had his idiosyncratic language and style of course, some being closer to the American Jazz tradition, other searching for new ways of expression. But in retrospect the arrival of Wania changed the rules of the game entirely, in view of his total originality. Wania studied Classical Music and Jazz Music of course, but he managed to create a completely innovative amalgam of all musical traditions, which is uniquely his own. His fellow musicians attest to the fact that playing alongside Dominik is like being transferred into another state of mind and parallel universe, which is exactly my observation from hearing him perform live. He is every bit there playing with the rest of the band and yet at the same time he floats in the stratosphere high above everything else that is happening on the stage. But of course solo piano performances are something altogether different... About a year before Wania recorded the music for this album he recorded another solo piano album called "TwilightFind albums with this title" with his interpretations of music composed by the great Polish composer Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist, which strangely was almost completely overlooked upon its release. Although diametrically different from the music on this album, since it was completely pre-composed, Wania´s interpretations soar high and above the basic melody lines and create a completely new entity (see my review of that album), and as such in some respects is spiritually quite related to the music presented herein. This album presents eleven improvised pieces by Wania, characterized by a remarkable humility, fragility and minimalism. Every stroke on the keyboard counts and every pause matters. Wania manages to create a complete universe of sound and silence, which is mesmerizing and magical. The music escapes standard genre classification and could be considered as much Classical as Jazz, being both and none at the same time. Using spontaneously improvised music for this project, Wania managed to create something that might sound completely "composed" to the listener, as a result of its wonderfully coherent structure, tonality and intrinsic continuity. This sublime ability is just one of Wania´s trade secrets, which turn him into a wizard he truly is. Of course this music reflects only some of the many facets of the phenomenon called Wania, since his recorded legacy portrays him in many diverse settings, but nevertheless it fully depicts his originality. No other piano player on this planet plays music the way he does, which of course can be said about just a handful of musicians. As corny as it might sound this is a truly wonderful album, probably one of the most penetrating and enlightening creations of the last decade, which once again proudly shines in the aging ECM catalogue. People love to crown artists as "the next thing", in most cases completely out of proportions, but Wania undoubtedly is an Artist of the future, even though he already offers a glorious legacy as of today. He undoubtedly embodies the European aesthetics more accurately and broadly that most of his peers and the prospect of hearing more of his music in the future is one of those things that make life worth living.

Updated: 22/10/2020Posted: 22/10/2020

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