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Item Description

Own an autgraphed copy of Michael Mizrahi's The Bright Motion.

This fascinating collection of contemporary piano music features a diverse range of styles. Pianist Michael Mizrahi reminds us in the package notes that solo piano works sort of lost their vogue over the last twenty years or so, with many composers viewing keyboard music as a bit archaic. To the credit of all composers heard here and, certainly, to the gifted and forward looking Mizrahi, these pieces show that there is still much to be gained and enjoyed by reexamining the versatility of the piano. These are all very recent works (2007 and more recent) and are all quite interesting. Patrick Burke's "Unravel" is a swirling, chromatic work whose motives lengthen, shorten and morph as they "unravel". A very enjoyable piece. William Brittelle is known for exploring the possibilities of live acoustic sounds and electronics. In his "Computer Wave", he achieves a nearly "artificial" sound with a perpetual motion feel but with a series of technical fluorishes on a simple rhythmic gesture. "Bright Motion" by Mark Dancigers exists in two very attractive movements, composed actually four years apart for Mizrahi. There is a dance-like quality to the two movements which I found very attractive. Ryan Brown's "Four Pieces for Solo Piano" are each very charming, picturesque pieces with imaginative titles. Additionally, these works occupy the upper register of the piano giving them a very light, sparkling texture. "Faux Patterns" by John Mayrose is a lovely exploration of a simple melody that evolves from an equally simple minor second and the effect is quite haunting. Judd Greenstein's "First Ballade" is a bit of homage to Chopin and closes this set with a bit of piano retrospective in a very pretty way. I did not know any of these composers, except for Brittelle, and they are very interesting new names who provide some wonderful sounds. This plus the wonderful playing of Michael Mizrahi makes this one of the best "new music for piano" discs in awhile.

Item Special Note

Released on May 29, 2012 on New Amsterdam Records, The Bright Motion features world premiere recordings of new pieces by William Brittelle, Ryan Brown, Patrick Burke, Mark Dancigers, Judd Greenstein, and John Mayrose, most of which were composed for Mizrahi.