Lisa Swerdlow - A Rhapsody Lives in You
Classical, New Age, Classical Crossover
California, United States
Overall Impression: I've had the great pleasure of experiencing Lisa Swerdlow's work before and if there was one thing I was certain of when heading into Lisa's new offering "A Rhapsody Lives In You", it was that I was undoubtedly in for another emotionally moving listening experience positively filled to the brim with Lisa's graceful musical nature and accomplished sense of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elegance, and I'm glad to say that I was right. "A Rhapsody Lives In You" is another exquisitely performed and lovingly written Neo-Classical composition that is both wonderfully balletic and delicately crafted, and whether it'd be the tenderly conveyed piano, the wonderfully implemented string and woodwind embellishments, or powerful emotion evoking themes, this is another fantastic piece of writing that is an absolute joy to get swept up by.
Strongest Point(s): As to be expected, the performances are superb and the level of poise and collectiveness on display is of a highly accomplished nature, ensuring every captivating melody and dash of harmonic excitement is presented in the most effective way possible. As with any piece of classical music, its sense of flow is strongly determined by how the arrangement is shaped and the creative way in which elements such as dynamics, tone, phrasing, and texture, to name but a few, are utilized to achieve this. Lisa knows this, and as a result "A Rhapsody Lives In You" always feels as if it's continually evolving in some way or another, take the way in which the instrumentation is effectively used to both subtly and drastically alter the composition's textural properties for instance, whereas the first half effectively establishes the intimate relationship between the piano and the gentle punctuation's of woodwind and string elements, the latter serves as a more grandiose exploration of the instrumentation's broader dynamic possibilities and more animated tonal characteristics. It's also great to hear that the true personality of each and every instrument as well as all the distinct musical elements that comprise the piece have all been beautifully captured in a recording that is both brilliantly detailed and well-balanced, allowing for a seamless listening experience that is just so easy to get fully absorbed by.
Target Audience Appeal: "A Rhapsody Lives in You" is a sterling piece and will certainly appeal to fans of the Neo-Classical genre.
Artist target suggestions: Marina Baranova, Maryna Aksenov, Sophia Jani, Antonin Dvorak, Ell Kendall, Giuseppe Verdi Phil Best, Gustav Mahler, Peter Ries, Max Richter, Sophie Hutchings, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar as well as teaching it, helping students learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and become more proficient in home recording.