I received an email from
Robert Bruce, a composer in
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
He has just finished a new solo
piano CD entitled
"Piano Noir" and was wondering if I would be interested in having a listen and possibly
reviewing it on my blog... I said, "Yes!"
I've always been drawn to ambient music. Robert Bruce is brilliant and his playing is magical and most inspiring. Fluid melodic lines with incredible dynamics transcend the soul. Some songs are gritty and riveting, while others have a story of their own. If you're a fan of neo-classical music, the piano solos do not disappoint. It's sensational! 5/5 stars. Recommend.
My favorites...
Searching for the Truth
Fortunes Changing (daunting and mysterious)
The Innocent (wistful, fairy-like)
She's Sorry Now (soulful, yet pleading)
Rain on the Window Pane
Get The Boogie Out of My Way
So, what do you think?
Listen to the tracks on the CD:
1. Searching For The Truth
2. A Thousand Tears
3. Alchemy
4. Fortunes Changing
5. Black Magic
6. The Innocent
7. Wise Guy
9. She's Sorry Now
11. Rolling Thunder
12. Rain On The Window Pane
15. Get The Boogie Out of My Way
From the Composer:
The collection of 16 pieces comprising Piano Noir - Volume One introduces
a somewhat new and unique approach to solo piano
literature. Simultaneously serious art music and background,
atmospheric or non-specific programmatic music, one cannot ever find the
exact moment when any of the pieces become strictly one or the
other. This has actually been typical of my general compositional style
for many years but the Piano Noir collection, loosely
paralleling a classic film genre, I feel has found an ideal artistic
setting in bringing this tendency together with this particular title
and collection of pieces.
The
“noir” element in this set of piano pieces is indeed a well-fitting
framework as a kind of dark, haunting beauty is an obvious thread
throughout this collection. Also, classic film noir, a very popular but
not precisely defined film genre, is also a personal favourite. But in
this set of musical compositions it is not at all my intention to
merely try to imitate or express classic film noir or sound like this
music might be derivative from various soundtracks in that genre, purely
in a retro or nostalgic sense. More so, the point here is to express
the darker side of the piano in a variety of ways, some of them quite
modern in tone and approach, some even humourous, and to perhaps
somewhat expand upon and update what is referred to as “noir”. (The
visual counterpart to this music presented in my live concerts “The
Piano Noir Experience”, consisting of specially conceived animations and
moving images projected on a large screen, expands this notion even
further.)
Stylistically, the music in Piano Noir is
an organic step forward: Mostly neo-classical music written in simple
structures and subtly coloured with various elements of blues and
ambient music. There are also obvious cinematic influences throughout
this music but these are not always of a purely musical nature; I often
endevour to musically capture the spirit of classic cinema,
sometimes in atmosphere or moodiness, sometimes in playfulness or
comedy. These elements are all part of my artistic background and have
been slowly integrated into my own expressions and style over several
decades.
Another
noticeable element found in most of my piano music is the “symphonic”
approach it often takes and this collection is perhaps the very best
example. Treating the piano more like an orchestra, with all its many
sonic textures and tonal colours, rather than as a “solo” instrument or a
platform for virtuosity, it is then often the basic compositional ideas
themselves, and the rather understated manner in which they are
performed on piano, that are the real focal point. Achieving an overall
tangible mood and atmosphere is always a high priority. Having said
that, a rare thing for me, several pieces in Piano Noir actually are a little dramatic or flashy, thus giving this collection a bit more variety than I probably originally set out for.
But
perhaps the most outstanding thing, as I have heard from many people
when performing this music over the years, is how strikingly visual the
pieces are on their own, and how vivid their musical effect often
becomes in the listener’s imagination, so much so that it seems at times
one can almost walk right into them. As one listener commented “this
music is like experiencing, almost being in, a movie, without the
movie.”
www.robertbrucemusic.com
Piano Noir, Vol. One
Best wishes and much continued success, Robert Bruce!
Warmly,
"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King
No comments:
Post a Comment