Single Review for Lisa Swerdlow
‘A Rhapsody Lives in You’,
Composer and Pianist Lisa Swerdlow Orchestration by Doug Hammer
Review by Marianne Lihannah
Lisa Swerdlow is an accomplished pianist and composer of Classical Crossover, Neo Classical and Contemporary instrumental music. She lives in Northern California. Lisa says about this piece; “I was inspired to compose this piece by my wife Lucie who is currently dealing with a rare sarcoma. Her 'Rhapsody' comes through her in her life force, and it does for all of us.”
This exquisite Contemporary Instrumental piece for piano and orchestra is an epic journey, which can melt even the most ardent music lovers of other genres.
The piece starts with a simple beautiful melancholic minor melody where Lisa uses ritardando, playing on our heart strings. This melody is quickly punctuated by heart-wrenching dramatic chords, suspending time by slowing down again, and one hears the beautiful ring of the piano to maximum effect. Dramatic chords alternating with simple bell-like chords in a call and response manner. Thereafter it opens like a rite of passage with a yearning rising gorgeous melody in the cello.
Listening to this sublime sad melody and wonderful weaving of phrases between the instruments, you feel both the pain and the beauty intensely. Lisa magically takes you with her on her journey.
A third of the way Lisa modulates into major and you feel as if the previous pain has contributed to even more light because of it. A shaft of light shines through this and you hear it in the percussion as well. You feel a new happiness, dancing with this joyful melody in the piano.
Halfway through the piece there is a return to minor but in a new way because of the previous journey. Lisa can make the melody in the piano almost sing – so fluid and sensitive is her touch. This section is even more heartrending if that even is possible, with weeping slow strings and woodwind melodies.
We briefly re-visit dramatic chords reminding you of the beginning of the piece but soon the piece climaxes in a jubilant major crescendo with the use of percussion, especially cymbals, driving it further still. Lisa is playing with light and dark and slowly taking us on her journey towards a dancing ecstatic climax.
We briefly visit the sad transformed beautiful minor melody, before the piece suddenly rises unexpectedly to double forte for a mighty last earth-shattering climax. Like a last defiant stand against adversity before ending with innocent alternating keys in the right hand, linking it to an earlier part of the composition.
This is without a shadow of doubt a master at work who both in her composing and expressive playing can reach your innermost core right from the word go. I was spellbound from beginning to end.
‘A Rhapsody Lives in You’,
Composer and Pianist Lisa Swerdlow Orchestration by Doug Hammer
Review by Marianne Lihannah
Lisa Swerdlow is an accomplished pianist and composer of Classical Crossover, Neo Classical and Contemporary instrumental music. She lives in Northern California. Lisa says about this piece; “I was inspired to compose this piece by my wife Lucie who is currently dealing with a rare sarcoma. Her 'Rhapsody' comes through her in her life force, and it does for all of us.”
This exquisite Contemporary Instrumental piece for piano and orchestra is an epic journey, which can melt even the most ardent music lovers of other genres.
The piece starts with a simple beautiful melancholic minor melody where Lisa uses ritardando, playing on our heart strings. This melody is quickly punctuated by heart-wrenching dramatic chords, suspending time by slowing down again, and one hears the beautiful ring of the piano to maximum effect. Dramatic chords alternating with simple bell-like chords in a call and response manner. Thereafter it opens like a rite of passage with a yearning rising gorgeous melody in the cello.
Listening to this sublime sad melody and wonderful weaving of phrases between the instruments, you feel both the pain and the beauty intensely. Lisa magically takes you with her on her journey.
A third of the way Lisa modulates into major and you feel as if the previous pain has contributed to even more light because of it. A shaft of light shines through this and you hear it in the percussion as well. You feel a new happiness, dancing with this joyful melody in the piano.
Halfway through the piece there is a return to minor but in a new way because of the previous journey. Lisa can make the melody in the piano almost sing – so fluid and sensitive is her touch. This section is even more heartrending if that even is possible, with weeping slow strings and woodwind melodies.
We briefly re-visit dramatic chords reminding you of the beginning of the piece but soon the piece climaxes in a jubilant major crescendo with the use of percussion, especially cymbals, driving it further still. Lisa is playing with light and dark and slowly taking us on her journey towards a dancing ecstatic climax.
We briefly visit the sad transformed beautiful minor melody, before the piece suddenly rises unexpectedly to double forte for a mighty last earth-shattering climax. Like a last defiant stand against adversity before ending with innocent alternating keys in the right hand, linking it to an earlier part of the composition.
This is without a shadow of doubt a master at work who both in her composing and expressive playing can reach your innermost core right from the word go. I was spellbound from beginning to end.