Reviews

“[Nadia Shpachenko] impresses very much as a pianist with a light, crisp touch and a way of keeping the music flowing very cleanly… [Tom Flaherty’s Airdancing] is a rapidly scampering piece with innumerable cross-rhythms, influenced, probably via Cage and Harrison, by southeast Asian traditions… Beautiful playing from each musician… [Adam Schoenberg’s Olive Orchard] wows, just a heartbreakingly gorgeous melody… this music carves out its own space, direct and moving… played with extreme sensitivity by Shpachenko… Schoenberg’s “Bounce,” which concludes the disc, is for two pianos (again, Lee joins in) and is a delightful romp… the execution sounds flawless… the music is so infectious… A very engaging set.”

“Tom Flaherty’s Airdancing for toy piano, piano, and electronics, uses the toy piano both as a tinny melodic instrument and as a metallic non-tonal percussion instrument. The exotic timbres reminded me strongly of Harry Partch’s music. Flaherty’s second work, Part Suite-a, uses thick tone clusters throughout, but with more major seconds than minor second groupings, softening the dissonance in an appealing way. The Picture Etudes of Adam Schoenberg is a suite of four short vignettes that seemed to have echoes of Martinu in some sections. And the addition of the bass drum and gong work (played by the pianist) are both understated and quite effective in their use. His work Bounce concludes the recital, a work for two pianos that sounds like it was a lot of fun to play (it certainly was to listen to). Cretic Variations by James Matheson is the longest work on the disc (14 minutes), and is a jazzy, percussive and thoroughly modern delight. Nadia Shpachenko collaborated in the creation of these works, giving her an emotional investment and empathy with them. She conveys that empathy with sure, insightful delivery.”

“Pianist Nadia Shpachenko took the erroneous Mayan apocalypse predictions of 2012 as a starting point, posited a new era of pianism beginning the following year, commissioned new works from four composers, and worked closely with them on the works’ genesis. The result is a set of four pieces that seem tied together even though the styles of the four composers are quite different from one another. The common element, perhaps, is the humor implicit in the overall concept. Tom Flaherty’s Airdancing is written for the unusual combination of piano, toy piano, and electronics, with the toy piano in the unlikely role of mediator between the pianistic and electronic realms; and the same composer’s Part Suite-a gently spoofs Baroque idioms. Peter Yates’ Finger Songs are lightly jazz- and blues-infused pieces that take up where Debussy and Ravel left off. The Picture Etudes of Adam Schoenberg (apparently no relation to either Arnold or Claude-Michel) developed out of a different commission, one for a contemporary Pictures at an Exhibition, and each is evocative of the style of a different modern artist. Schoenberg’s Bounce is a playful romp inspired by children’s antics. The Cretic Variations of James Matheson are weightier but do not disturb the basic continuity. Reference Recordings’ engineering work at Pomona College is excellent, and Shpachenko’s involvement in the music does not cloud her accurate playing. Recommended.”

“Reference Recordings garnered seven nominations for the 2016 Grammy Awards, including two for Woman at the New Piano. The disc premieres six works written in 2013 by four composers, three of whom, like Shpachenko, live and work in the Los Angeles environs. Proposed for “Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance” was Tom Flaherty’s Airdancing for Toy Piano, Piano, and Electronics, where Shpachenko is joined by another Angelino, Genevieve Feiwen Lee. (A “toy piano,” by the way, is a real instrument, like a toy poodle is a real dog.) The sonority ranges from eerie, gossamer-like beauty to mechanical ravings, sometimes evoking an Indonesian gamelan. Flaherty also provides Part Suite-a, two spiky, percussive movements surrounding a lullaby of sorts. Adam Schoenberg contributes Picture Etudes (a modern-day Pictures at an Exhibition) and the upbeat/majestic Bounce for two pianos. Finger Songs, by Peter Yates, registers as low-key jazz improvisation. Cretic Variations, by the New York composer James Matheson, thoroughly explores the possibilities of a poetic form known as “cretic foot.” Shpachenko and Lee perform the music with complete authority and they’re superbly recorded at 176.4/24 resolution in a 550-seat concert hall by Shpachenko’s husband, Barry Werger-Gottesman. Keith Johnson was the mastering engineer.”

“Woman at the New Piano is an album with a surely cosmic purpose… this prodigiously talented, California-based pianist and teacher, has recorded a delightful and diverse program of brand new works she commissioned in 2013 from four outstanding composers, Tom Flaherty, Peter Yates, Adam Schoenberg and James Matheson… Arresting, dramatic, exhilarating and sometimes briefly serene, [Tom Flaherty’s] Airdancing stretches the listener’s imagination and challenges the ear while being accessible and frankly smile producing enjoyable… Shpachenko makes a most convincing case for [Adam Schoenberg’s Picture Etudes] and we are unlikely to get such a definitive, affectionate recording soon. [James Matheson’s Cretic Variations]… a powerful, lyrical and demanding set of variations. Another work that can, and should, become a staple of recitals and programs… Stellar performances, usual fine Reference Recordings sound throughout, informative liner notes and a most varied and energetic program make Woman at the New Piano a clear winner and a new favorite here.”

(performance of Xenakis’ Palimpsest)

“Xenakis’ work is a fascinating place to visit, as it builds and undoes its structure and engages in various sonic funhouse-mirror maneuvers. Our ears yearn to latch onto discernible themes or rhythmic grids, but they’re just beyond grasp. In short, it’s a test of musical perception. Pianist Nadia Shpachenko and timpanist Dave Gerhart were given workouts and rose to their tasks.”

(recording of Isaac Schankler’s Future Feelings for their album Because Patterns)

“The final track is Future Feelings and features pianist Nadia Shpachenko. This opens with a light, metallic wash in the electronics and swirls of strong piano notes. As the piece moves forward the piano dominates, unreeling clouds of lovely phrases played with that characteristically sensitive Shpachenko touch. Although quietly atmospheric, some drama is occasionally added when the piano dips into the lower registers in a series of rapid, descending scales. Soft beeping tones – clearly electronic – enter from underneath, yet these seem perfectly at home embedded within the lush melodies and warm textures of the piano line. The extravagantly beautiful playing of Ms. Shpachenko almost steals the show, but the subdued electronic presence is memorable precisely for how much it contributes to the warm sensibility of this piece. Future Feelings is exquisitely expressive music, with just the right balance of masterful playing and complimentary electronics.”

“Isaac Schankler’s Because Patterns Explores Human-Electronic Relationships”

“As Schankler shares in an interview with liner-note author Meg Wilhoite, album closer, Future Feelings, reflects thoughts about nostalgia. Gestures from early twentieth-century piano music–some modern, and others joyfully and decadently Romantic–define the piece. Schankler takes up these musical languages with startling fluency, as does Shpachenko, whose versatility has become a defining virtue. Electronic sounds purr beneath and intrude upon the piano’s visions of a sparkling past. Initially a smear of static over Shpachenko’s ecstatic melodies, they morph into telegraph-like blips and, eventually, a menacing roar.”

(performance of Yuri Ishchenko’s Piano Sonata No. 6 and other works)

“Piano Sonata No. 6 (2007), by Yuri Ishchenko began with a Fantasia. Its strong opening and quietly mysterious melody made for a gloomy feeling. A bit of agitation animated the texture, leading up to a series of resounding chords. This pattern of quiet tension followed by increasingly anxious passages continued, especially in the lower registers where deep rumblings added a sense of menace. A marvelous Ukranian bleakness poured grimly out of the keyboard under Ms. Shpachenko’s steady hands. The dynamics and tempo increased just as the texture thickened, the notes rushing out into the audience like a dark, flowing torrent. A very rapid run upward and a solemnly quiet chord at the finish carried Fantasia to its conclusion.

The second movement, Imperativo, arrived with a bright, almost waltz-like tempo invoking a feeling that is both decisive and purposeful. The active phrasing, while often complex, never felt timid or nervous. The precise and nuanced playing impressed, especially in the quieter stretches, and a hint of Prokofiev lyricism emerged in the melodies. A new line in the lower register rose up in a complex wave, making its way through the middle piano keys and accelerated to an almost fugue-like intricacy. This is engaging music, aided by the expressive passages and a profusion of notes that roared outward at the conclusion. The final movement, Epilogo, proved much more subdued, with tentative notes and a vague feeling of uncertainty. Although brief and fittingly restrained, this movement contrasted perfectly with the preceding fireworks. As the last notes died away, much cheering and applause arose for this most energetic performance.”

(performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4)

“a brilliant pianist… spellbinding in sensitivity and mastery of technique”