The idea behind the current double album ‘The Voice of Piano’ by pianist Carmen Stefanescu starts with the piano. The Voice of Piano, i.e. the ‘voice of the piano’, focuses primarily on the vocal qualities of the instrument. But it is also about the diverse interrelationships between the singing voice, between the orchestral or piano song and the piano. The double CD contains the artist's ‘favourite pieces’, which are almost exclusively song transcriptions of works by composers such as Mahler, Rachmaninoff, Jean Sibelius and Richard Strauss.
The pianist explains how this focus came about: ‘I have always enjoyed accompanying singers, although up to now it has really only been women, i.e. only female singers. In addition, one of my most important teachers, if not the most important, was an important song accompanist: Irwin Gage. In the beginning I came to him with a singer, later he only worked with me. But it was never just about piano music, it was always about song accompaniment, and with his relaxed American manner he gave me the feeling that what I was doing was beautiful. Then there was his obsessive way of dealing with legato: He made sure to bind as much as possible with the hand, for example with silent finger changes, which supports the vocal quality. The piano is actually a percussive instrument and it takes a bit of trickery to make it sing. But it is precisely this singing quality that I find beautiful. In this respect, Gage was the absolute master for me. Working with him had a huge impact on me and also had a major influence on the selection of works on my album.’
Press Release
The Voice of Piano
CD 1
Claude Debussy
Beau soir
Le jet d'eau
Francis Poulenc
Hommage à Edith Piaf
Melancolie
Federico Mompou Hoy la tierra y los cielos me sonrien Damunt de tu només les flors Sergej Rachmaninoff Lilacs op. 21 Nr. 5 Daisies op. 38 Nr. 3 Gustav Mahler Ich atmet einen linden Duft, Op. 44 Nr. 1 Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, Op. 44 Nr. 4 Edvard Grieg Ich liebe dich, Op. 41 Nr. 3 Die verschwiegene Nachtigall, Op. 48 Nr. 4
Franz Schubert / Franz Liszt Ständchen, S. 560 Nr. 7 Richard Strauss / Leopold Godowsky Ständchen, Op. 17 Nr. 2 Johannes Brahms / Leopold Godowsky Wiegenlied, Op. 49 Nr. 4
CD 2
Rumänisches Traditionl after Maria Tănase Frică mi-e că mor ca mâine
Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves Say Black Earth (Kara Toprak)
Manuel de Falla Siete canciones populares españolas
Jean Sibelius Impromptus, Op. 5 Nr. 4 & 5
Johann Sebastian Bach / Ferruccio Busoni Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Carmen Stefanescu, Klavier
Prospero, PROSP0098, 4262353970584, 2 CD Digipack, booklet with 24 pages
Distribution in the UK: Proper Music
Distribution in the USA: Naxos of America
Release. July 5, 2024
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