Search - Wayne Gratz :: A Place Without Noise

From Solo Piano Publications

Kathy Parsons | Florence, OR United States | 05/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wayne Gratz has always been a master of understated piano compositions, and "A Place Without Noise", his seventh collection of original piano solos for Narada, is perhaps his most peaceful and introspective album yet. The fourteen pieces are solo piano, piano with Paul Fleury accompanying on cello, or piano with synth washes. Each piece is a distinctive "vignette", but the album as a whole maintains a calm and tranquil mood throughout. Wayne Gratz has been one of my favorite composers for a lot of years, and it's always a delight to savor his new music. As has been true of many of Gratz's compositions, the majority of the songs on "A Place Without Noise" are inspired by nature - "Clouds", "Mist of a Waterfall", "Willows", etc. My favorite piece is "Still Pond", a gorgeous piano and cello duet that is the absolute aural definition of peace and contentment. "Onset of Winter" is a very spare and evocative mood piece. Gratz is incredibly good at making the open spaces between the notes and chords as important and effective as the notes themselves. I was down at the shoreline this morning playing frisbee with my dog, and "Birds in Flight" captures perfectly the feeling of having flocks of gulls, terns, and other shorebirds flying all around you - beautiful and breath-taking! "Sunday at Twilight" is serenity set to music. Gentle and thoughtful, it is easy to imagine watching the stars come out one by one as the sun sets. If you enjoy quiet piano pieces with a calming effect, you'll love "A Place Without Noise"! I found that I enjoyed it even more each time I listened to it (about ten times), and I know this is a CD that will NOT sit on the shelf once the review is finished. Very highly recommended!"

Unexpected Mastery

Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 09/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to albums from either end of a musician's career when 'good' has somehow changed into 'great' is something like time travel. You find that things that seemed less important initially have grown and developed and that the music maker has reached a level you never originally anticipated. I have always liked Wayne Gratz, whose Reminiscence has always been a favorite contemplative album of mine. But that album, which was very dependent on effect and accompaniment barely foreshadows what has happened in A Place Without Noise.



In this album Gratz has moves right into center stage. What accompaniment there is plays a Spartan role, and this entire album owes its presence to Gratz's skill, not the artificial drama of effects. The result is brilliant. Gratz reveals a muscularity and sense of rhythm that captures attention and keeps it focused. Reminiscense was an album to read by or watch out the window with - A Place Without Noise demands that you listen, and then rewards you for the attention.



It's hard to pick out a favorite. 'Birds in Flight' is usually the first piece that makes me sit up and take notice, but from that point on I remain a keenly attentive and happy listener. Something that Gratz has figured out how to reach touches something resonant in me with a musicality that is harmonious, heartfelt, and interesting. Highly recommended."

What a treasure!

Marc Ruby? | 12/08/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is a treasure! I originally purchased this CD because the title is a pun on our family conversation about when we're tired of listening to heavily programmed music, then we want a "place without noise". I wanted something to play when we felt that way and it has proven to be 100% dependable. Probably 30% of what we listen to is piano: classical, jazz and "new age". This is different, more free than classical, not as overwhelming as classical & jazz, not as minamalist as Takemitsu, lighter than "new age" Winston or "unclassifiable" Bjorstad. It is focused, precise and gentle; it is not staged, it evokes a free spirit. It is a treasure!"