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A beautiful fusion of classical and jazz May 18, 2008
Up until now I have never heard of Gabriela Montero. I recently discovered her this weekend when I was rummaging through the cd bins at my library and came across her BAROQUE ALBUM. Curiousity got me and I took the cd home with me. I have to admit I thought I was going to hear some operatic singing but much to my surprise (and delight), what I got was 52 minutes of sumptuous piano music that was a mix of classical and improvisational jazz. I definitely could hear the improvisational skills of Gabriela tinkling the ivory keys while staying true to the songs' intricate melodies. I think Gabriela does an excellent job in interpretating these timeless baroque songs with her style of pieno playing. My only minor gripe is that her version of "Canon" was a tad too quiet. I had to turn up the volume of my stereo to really hear the grand beauty of the song. I kinda felt the same way about "Adagio" however the song was not as subtle in volume. Despite this minor flaw, I felt the album is still worthy enough for five stars. I found the music to be very relaxing to listen to. I definitely will be checking out Gabriela's other albums.
20 of 23 found the following review helpful:
Superb Interplay of Style, Art, Multiple Eras, and Total Beauty Apr 25, 2008
Need a treat, a classical music improvisation treat on the piano? Well, here it is. This is a really beautiful recording. I am listening to Albinoni and Bach and Handel and Vivaldi all spun just slightly differently by this astonishingly talented pianist, Gabriela Montero.
Sometimes when Glenn Gould was playing he would hum along to the music. And he'd be so carried away with himself well, he'd hum louder. In some recordings his humming is quite audible and I hate to say, distracted me from his brilliant playing--there are some recordings of Bach by him that I can't listen to anymore on account of the humming. Gabriela is also carried away with the beauty of the music but has the self-control that Gould did not.
This recording is dated last year. It's new and it's fresh. It's got a haunting lovely thoughtful and thought-provoking introspection about it. The recording quality is excellent with the piano deep and flawless.
This pianist plays with superb technical alacrity and a deep emotional connection to her art. She is a serious treat to listen to, and while slightly lighter in intensity than some of the originals that she is improvising on, her own art makes it all seem new again.
These kind of recordings with a newly discovered artist, at least to me, is something that fills my heart with a new joy. Like discovering a new favorite wine or a new author or a new artist, Montero grabs you and leads down a beautiful path of sound and spirit and feeling. Rarely has the piano sounded so clean and crisp than on this beautiful recording.
Plaudits to Gabriela Montero and also to her producer David Groves for doing such a superb job capturing her playing so finely.
So, do you need a new piano treat? Do you need a new take on lots of old baroque standards by a superb artist and technician? Well, here it is. Montero is a superb technical pianist, she is flawless from what I have heard in this recording. There is some modern sensibilities thrown into these baroque pieces by the masters but in these new incarnations they work quite well as new pieces in their own right. Imagine Vince Guaraldi mixed in with some Handel or Scarlatti; imagine the airy piano of George Winston, and the accuracy and power of Gould. It's all here for you to find.
I hope that you enjoy this beautiful recording as much as I do.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Excellent improvisations amazing talent Mar 31, 2008
Congratulations to Gabriela Montero for develop a great experience and enjoy on some Baroque themes, excellent fluid improvisations. Not only an Excellent Piano player but a great musician Gabriela is. I think we like to hear more new music creations than more interpretations. I hope to enjoy more music creations like this CD from Montero and from others with this amazing talent.
Absolutely Fantastic! Feb 23, 2008
I've not heard Gabriela before I listened to this album. It didnt take me more than a single listening to conclude that this is not a usual classical album, nor is it Jazz improvisation...it is something divine..it gives a certain peace of mind, a certain surprise, a certain happiness listening to Gabriela's improvisations. Simply fantastic! Its only a few hours since I've know this great artist and Im a already her fan! Fantastic album! Album's like these cannot be rated by stars.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Refreshing! Dec 26, 2007
Gabriela Montero's Baroque album shows how a young but accomplished and imaginative artist can shed more light on Baroque composers and their music. I was totally astonished. Improvisation with classical music is not new in the sense that this has been done in the jazz idiom. Transcriptions such as Lizt's are not improvisations but adaptations. Montero's work for piano, however, is not only new but in doing this she shows courage and determination in what she believes. As well, her improvisations are spontaneous and therefore different from one public concert performance to another. This Venezualan artist adds a South American combined with a jazz flavour to her playing which is irresistable. I learned of Montero through listening to her in a live radio broadcast on a show called Studio Sparks in Ottawa, Canada, CBC Radio, hosted by Eric Friesen.
David Erickson, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
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