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French-Born Classical Pianist Helene Grimaud and the Passion of Musical Expression
Stefano Battaglia Trio Interprets Composer Alec Wilder on New 'In The Morning' [REVIEW]
For his sixth ECM album, 'In The Morning', Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia, 50, brings his trio with bassist Salvatore Maiore and drummer Roberto Dani to the music of American composer Alec Wilder [1907-1980] whose songs have been recorded by Peggy Lee, the Mills Brothers and Frank Sinatra. Wilder also composed chamber music, operas and wrote the scholarly tome 'American Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900-1950'. Defending 'Leo Ornstein: Piano Quintet'; Marc-André Hamelin & The Pacifica Quartet [REVIEW]
To review a recording from a highly underperformed repertoire presents a serious moral challenge. Lacking a frame of reference places an enormous burden on performers whose recordings will immediately be linked to the composer. For the listener, a leap of faith is necessary to combat any undue biases surrounding the piece itself. This very issue seemed to arise in the aftermath of September's release of 'Leo Ornstein: Piano Quintet, String Quartet No.2', recorded by Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin and the Pacifica Quartet.
