Search - Scott Hiltzik :: Celtic Nocturnes

Inspired by the timeless melodies of legendary 18th-century Irish bard and harper Turlough O'Carolan, Billboard-charting pianist/composer Scott Hiltzik displays a vibrant Celtic style and astonishing keyboard wizardry.These brilliant arrangements for solo piano, full of sophisticated harmonies and engaging rhythms, seamlessly blend ancient tradition and contemporary sensibility. Where did the nocturne come from? Most people would say from Chopin. But most people would be wrong. The word 'nocturne' and the musical form, a solo piece for piano that sets up a mood, an atmosphere, that appeals directly to the listener's emotions was created by the great 19th-century Irish composer John Field. His improvisational, soulful songs without words were beloved by audiences everywhere, and inspired Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Satie, Debussy...and changed the landscape of music forever. How appropriate, then,that Celtic Nocturnes takes us back a century before Field to the legendary giant of Irish music Turlough O'Carolan. Peaceful and meditative, often playful, sometimes achingly beautiful, Carolan's glorious melodies fill the heart with joy, a sense of sadness consoled, which is considered the hallmark of the true nocturne and is the very soul of Irish music.