Kirsten / Shpachenko / Hills - Poetry of Places [CD]

Multi-GRAMMYr nominated pianist Nadia Shpachenko's new release,"The Poetry of Places" features World Premiere recordings of works for solo piano, for two pianos, percussion, electronics, voice and toy piano in a fascinating mélange inspired by great architecture and places. The eight compositions monumentalize places so wildly diverse as the Copland House in Cortlandt, NY, The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Louis Kahn's National Assembly Buildings in Bangladesh, Newgrange Ancient Temple in Ireland, and Frank Gehry's House in Santa Monica. Included is a significant new work from Andrew Norman, "Frank's House", for two pianos and percussion, and another large work from Nina C. Young, "Kolokol", for two pianos and electronics (a 'fantasy' inspired by Russian Orthodox Church Bells). Six solo works, by Amy Beth Kirsten, Hannah Lash, James Matheson, Harold Meltzer, Lewis Spratlan, and Jack Van Zandt, were written specifically for this project, using very different approaches and sonic means in their responses to their chosen spaces.