I haven’t heard the original Powerhouse Pianists album, but after listening to this release, I’ll be searching it out. This release features the same type of programming as the first Powerhouse Pianists, although it can be enjoyed on its own merits. Pianists Stephen Gosling and Blair McMillen present a collection of contemporary works that push […]
Frederic Rzewski
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Ralph van Raat performs Rzewski
Pianist/composer Frederic Rzewski is best known for The People United Will Never Be Defeated!. Echoes of that massive set of piano variations can be heard in this program of shorter works by Rzweski. The Housewife’s Lament, like The People…, is a set of variations on a pre-existing tune. Although the scope of the variations is […]
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Rzewski – The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
The People United Will Never Be Defeated! is a massive set of piano variations based on a Chilean song by pianist and composer Frederic Rzewski. Structurally, it resembles Beethoven’s “Diabelli “variations, or Bach’s “Goldberg” variations. Like the former, it’s a virtual catalog of compositional technique. And like the latter, its 36 variations are divided into […]