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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 ab...

Lisa Swerdlow - The Arrival: Third Movement Classical, New Age, Classical Crossover California, United States Overall Impression: Gracefully arranged and superbly performed, "The Arrival: Third Movement, Coming to America Concerto " is a deeply emotive and highly rewarding listening experience that ebbs and flows beautifully between its moments of sadness, anxiety, and joy with the utmost refinement and maturity. Lisa Swerdlow has put together a highly enthralling finale to her "Coming To America" concerto and she manages to effortlessly conjure up a powerful emotional response from the listener, ensuring they find themselves continually invested in the music from those delicate first few piano touches all the way to very last. Strongest Point(s): Lisa is clearly a outstanding performer and writer, and the sophistication in the arrangement perfectly details this. The way melodies elegantly weave in and out and to and from one another again...

Irinushka - Connected Disconnection Folk, New Age, Classical Crossover Melbourne, Australia Overall Impression: Beginning with discordant, mechanistic ostinatos, Irinushka's "Connected Disconnection" challenges humankind to reevaluate its dependence upon electronic devices for communication - drawing attention to our fading ability to fully receive one another as we begin to prefer a bleak facsimile of intimacy to the real thing! Strongest Point(s): The overall effect that results from Irinushka's careful artistry in "Connected Disconnection" is at once playful and powerfully dissonant! The artist's vocal approach throughout the song is intimate and inviting, appearing nearly as a whisper and playing well upon the natural human attraction towards what feels like a secret. Then, through the song's lyrical development, that intimate distance between artist and listener becomes itself the focus of the interaction - shedding...

Lisa Swerdlow - Home of My Ancestors Classical, New Age, Classical Crossover California, United States Overall Impression: "Home of My Ancestors" is a stirring new release from accomplished pianist and composer, Lisa Swerdlow. The first of three movements from her Coming to America concerto, "Home of My Ancestors" features piano accompanied by a small chamber style ensemble, consisting of various winds and strings. Following a free flowing adagio tempo, this piece opens in a maudlin c# minor, before breaking down the walls of harmonic convention and taking a deep dive, exploring its own tonality to the fullest measures. Swerdlow's deft touch on the keys is on full display here, as her performance draws on her superb musicality to invoke layers of emotions from her instrument, from the extremely melancholic to subtle hints of exuberance and joy. Contemporary classical music audiences should find a lot to like about this piece, and should a...