Search - Vadim Gluzman, Lera Auerbach :: Auerbach: Preludes and Dreams

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT

Melvyn M. Sobel | Freeport (Long Island), New York | 08/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This latest excursion into the creative mind of pianist/composer Lera Auerbach [b. 1973] offers up her first disc of solo piano works, an enterprising venture, exceptionally illuminating, disturbing, profound. Most apparent is the depth of her artistic voice, followed by the breadth of her communicative powers. The Preludes for Piano, Op. 41 [1999] is a brooding, dark work: twenty-four segmented "perspectives" that form a rather ingenious, yet ominous whole. These are daring pieces--- potent and subtle, simultaneously--- whose unyielding vision forces immediate attention, and whose dynamism is both ruthless and beckoning. Startlingly original is the ability of Auerbach to cast an aura of otherworldliness around these compositions and to press for the reversal of musical perception, attitude, awareness. The distillations of Op. 41 are followed hard on the heels by her Ten Dreams, Op. 45 [1999], which seem haunting extensions of the Preludes. There is an inevitability about these "nachtstucke" that is relentless, yet familiar; disconcerting, yet liberating. As well, there is no mistaking Lera's modernist utterances, despite the titles, for anything else, and whether or not these are uncompromising homage's to Chopin, Debussy or Shostakovich will reside in the ear of the listener. The Op. 31 Chorale, Fugue and Postlude [1994/2003] is a magnificent "transposition" of traditional form: an eerily reminiscent, elegant, austere and ruminative testimonial of existential resolve. Supporting Auerbach's musical landscape every note of the way is the stark, slightly ambient piano sound given her by BIS engineer Hans Kipfer.



[Running time: 80:05]

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A Glimpse into the World of Lera Auerbach

David Baptista | 02/19/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Lera Auerbach is a modern composer and pianist, often found performing her own compositions. In this CD, she presents three works, each one composed of a set of small pieces. We can hear on this CD how brilliant of a pianist Auerbach is, displaying an impressive tonal range and total command of the keyboard. Concerning the compositions, I found the quality to be variable. The Prelude in B flat Minor and the Prelude in G sharp Minor are both impressive pieces, challenging the tonal range of the piano by conception, and with impressive emotional content. In contrast, the Prelude in G Major and the Prelude in B Minor seem almost devoid of musical character, being strongly tied by arbitrary motific constraints that overpower any strand of musical content; seemingly they were developed with the sole intention of stressing the dissonance in a major seventh (in the first) or a minor second (in the second) over and over again, without purpose. Although three different works are presented, they definitely share a musical bond and make sense when presented together. The CD excels as a showcase of the world of Lera Auerbach as a pianist and composer, but one must be prepared to have an adventurous ear."