Search - Franz Liszt, Aaron Copland, William Bolcom :: Soundings

An appealingly eclectic mix of 19th and 20th Century piano m

Aki Katsuragi | New York, NY | 11/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great album for piano-music lovers who might normally listen to Classical and Romantic-era works but are curious about slightly more recent music as well.



The CD starts with a dramatic rendering of Liszt's "Vallee d'Obermann." Well known for playing contemporary music, here McMillen demonstrates his talent in bringing off music of lyricism and Romantic expression. His account of this piece is compelling and satisfying. Debussy and Scriabin serve as a bridge from the mid 19th-century to the 20th, with the impressionistic hazy sounds of Debussy's "Estampes" and the chromatic expressionism of Scriabin. An interesting juxtaposition on this recording is Scriabin's very first piano piece (the Etude in C# Minor) and his very last (5 Preludes Op. 74), demonstrating his development from Chopin-esque beginnings into visionary modernism. The famous C# Minor Etude, perhaps performed a bit slower than usual, makes sense in context and is gorgeously played.



Bernstein's piano arrangement of Copland's "El Salon Mexico" (originally for orchestra) is given a high octane reading, and prefaces a few lesser-known, rag-inspired gems by Bolcom and Gould. These contemporary American pieces are played by McMillen here with great energy (and a hint of melancholy in the case of Bolcom), suggesting his penchant for jazz. A thumbs-up recommendation."