There are plenty of Debussy recordings made by artists past and present — so what makes this release different? Two things, I think; Aleck Karis’ musicality and Bridge Records’ skill at piano recordings. Right from the opening Etude, I was impressed. Pour Les “Cinq Doigts”: D’après Monsieur Czerny starts off with a simple scale but […]
Aleck Karis
-
-
Morton Feldman – For John Cage
“For John Cage” is one of the seven musical portraits Morton Feldman composed for friends. And it’s the third issued by Bridge Records. “For John Cage” doesn’t quote any of Cage’s music, but Feldman perfectly captures his aesthetic, I think. This 71-minute piece draws the listener in, and heightens their awareness of the ambient sounds […]
-
Aleck Karis plays Poulenc with humor and wit
Aleck Karis delivers some fine performances of Francis Poulenc’s piano music with this release. Karis plays with a lightness of tone and just the right amount of emotional restraint to make these works sound absolutely charming. And Karis pays just as much attention to the program. The works aren’t arranged chronologically, but rather in a […]
-
Morton Feldman – Suspended in Time
Late in his career Morton Feldman became fascinated with the extremes of duration. This 1987 work, Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello comes from that period and clocks in at 75;13. It’s not his longest work, the 6-hour 2nd String Quartet holds that honor. But its length does make some demands — and has some effect — […]