Reviews

“Invasion is an evocative and powerful musical snapshot of the war in Ukraine. Perhaps this is the opening movement of a work that will ultimately give us a heroic and victorious final ending.”

"The rare combination of poetry and athleticism by Nadi Shpachenko was on full display last night, as the executant of equally athletic compositions by Lewis Spratlan... Ms. Shpachenko resides on the West Coast, yet she has been a paragon of execution for virtually every American composer from Elliott Carter to the late (alas) George Crumb to last night’s Lewis Spratlan. And no wonder. It isn’t her incredible pianism, her endless gymnastics; instead it was her clarity, the quantum attention to every change of metre in every measure. The performance of muscular piano geniuses is hardly rare, and their displays can always dazzle us. Ms. Shpachenko takes another route, that of sprinting down dozens of simultaneous tangly paths and allowing us to see every flower, tree, insect along the way... Musically, [Invasion] could have resembled Goya’s war pictures or Picasso’s Guernica. But the instruments themselves... offered a picture of frightening tragedy. It started yes, with a percussive bang. But the medley of improbable instruments–horn, trombone, mandolin, sax and of course Ms. Shpachenko’s piano–gave a picture of war at its most warlike. Mr. Spratlan was never averse to interject a folk melody or two, yet they were eradicated by the sounds of battle. It was a stunning opening... Using Scott Joplin as his foundation for Six Rags was genius. Each of them had a geographical place named in the New England mountains. Yet that was a personal inspiration. The results were purely original. Yes, he used Joplin-style rags within each of the six pieces. They could be blatant–and played with dynamic impetus by Ms. Shpachenko–or hidden amongst a forest of intervals... Ms. Shpachenko didn’t have to emphasize the ironies in all six Rags. They sung for themselves, were written with elation, and played last night with both brunt and beauty."

"José Serebrier is well known as a conductor, a role in which his activities have hardly slowed even in his ninth decade. He is also a composer, and even though he is much less familiar in this role, his initial fame was in this realm; Leopold Stokowski programmed his Symphony No. 1, and the 1957 Piano Sonata played here by Nadia Shpachenko was premiered by no less than Rudolf Serkin. The works on the album stretch from that year all the way up to 2018 for the titular Last Tango Before Sunrise, but there is general stylistic consistency among them, although the sense of tonality varies. All are infused with Latin American rhythms, either the tango, as characteristic of Serebrier's native Uruguay as it is of Argentina, or from Afro-Brazilian lands, as in the Symphony for Percussion or the hyperkinetic Candombe. What makes his rhythmic treatments especially appealing is that the rhythmic influences may be direct, or more subtle, or sometimes both in the same composition. Four of the pieces here are world premieres, and the Symphony for Percussion has never, until now, been recorded digitally. Absolutely anything on here would enliven a symphonic concert or keyboard recital; the mood is lyrical, and the music could fit with Milhaud, Ravel, or a North American program. Many of the performances feature the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Serebrier himself, and there's a sense that the musicians play the pieces with love. The sound was recorded in various locations but is clean and mastered well into a coherent whole."

"Next is Serebrier’s Piano Sonata, written in 1957 and premiered by Rudolf Serkin a year later. Here, it is played by pianist Nadia Shpachenko. Although it’s been performed numerous times around the world, this is its first recording. Its “Latin-sounding rhythms” are well served by Ms. Shpachenko, who plays it with a trenchant, clearheaded mind-set and a deft set of fingers."

"Pocketed throughout by Stravinsky-esque discords, the Piano Sonata is not without its lighter, genteel lines. Serebrier, however, tames his music inside the Andante with alternating contrasts of density and sobriety. The rollicking Moto Perpetuo: Presto puzzles and pleases simultaneously, a conversation which Nadia Shpachenko molds with firework frivolity."

"Facettenreiches Porträt des Komponisten José Serebrier"

"Das früheste Werk ist die von lateinamerikanischen Rhythmen geprägte Klaviersonate von 1957, die von Rudolf Serkin uraufgeführt wurde und von Nadia Shpachenko kraftvoll und mit Elan gespielt wird."

"The earliest work is the Piano Sonata of 1957, influenced by Latin American rhythms, premiered by Rudolf Serkin and played powerfully and with verve by Nadia Shpachenko."

“Pianist Shpachenko premieres music with a sense of place”

“In The Poetry of Places, the gifted and versatile pianist Nadia Shpachenko premieres a remarkable lineup of 10 new works… It’s a winningly loose concept, and the music that results covers a wonderfully diverse stylistic range, from the disruptive shifts of tone in Andrew Norman’s Frank’s House… to the psychedelic whizzing and swooshing of Lewis Spratlan’s Bangladesh. In between come a collection of other delights, including a beautiful porcelain creation by Amy Beth Kirsten involving a toy piano and childlike crooning, and Hannah Lash’s tender Give Me Your Songs… the thematic consistency turns out to be less interesting than the compositional voices on display, and the technical flair and expressive commitment that Shpachenko brings to all of it.”

“The Poetry of Places is an impressive collection of new works by outstanding contemporary composers, performed by first-rate musicians… Frank’s House [by Andrew Norman] is a wild musical ride through an artistic mind unburdened by limitations… In Full Sail [by Harold Meltzer] smoothly alternates between the serious and the sprightly, with lighthearted stretches bubbling up from under the darker passages. The continuing contrast between introspection and whimsy is an effective metaphor for the constant interplay between responsibility and exhilaration while at sea, as well as in our daily lives… Sí an Bhrú [by Jack Van Zandt] is a wonderfully atmospheric piece with each element carefully crafted and lucidly performed… Hannah Lash’s Give Me Your Songs for solo piano is a return to the solid virtues of the gentle melody and simple harmony, expressively played… The simplicity of materials and the engaging nature of the rhythms make h.o.p.e. [by Amy Beth Kirsten] a fine tribute to the transforming power of art… Alone, in waters shimmering and dark [by James Matheson] is a carefully crafted portrait of nature and solitude, delicately played… There is power and strength, a bit of the mystical, a bustling energy and a determined stridency, all artfully woven throughout the piece. Bangladesh [by Lewis Spratlan] is an impressive rendering of formal architecture into eloquent music… Kolokol [by Nina C. Young] is a beautifully crafted piece that brings the listener face to face with an aural touchstone of Russian history.”

“Textura Sees Nadia Shpachenko Recordings as Trilogy”

“An album of solo and duo piano, electronics, and percussion, The Poetry of Places is a superb assemblage of works by various composers. Each piece, inspired by a particular building, weaves together a collage of place and time, and Shpachenko’s evocative interpretations bring insight to the composers’ visions… One of the highlights of The Poetry of Places is Hannah Lash’s Give me your Songs, a multifaceted illustration of Aaron Copland’s house. The songful fragments of material weave and intermingle with one another, creating a fabric that stitches together the cascading off-centered structure and winding pathways surrounding his home. Shpachenko sensitively approaches each attack with breathless understanding of music and place, transporting the listener to upstate New York and through the historic passageways of the house. … Another true standout of the album is Amy Beth Kirsten’s h.o.p.e., inspired by The Big Hope Show in 2015-16 at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. … The moment Shpachenko sings in child-like naivety is pure magic, as the unison slowly breaks and unravels into unison once more, painting the rebirth of spirit and hope in subtle brilliance. … Through the entire album, Shpachenko’s dedication to each work is abundantly clear. Her clean, crisp attacks ring delicious in the ear while the lush garden of warm rumblings evoke the imagination to far off places and civilizations. Her supporting cast of composers and performers enrich The Poetry of Places‘ diversity and nuance, creating a focused, coherent narrative through which to travel.”