| |
|
| Roger Sessions and Ralph Shapey |
| Sessions: |
Piano Sonata No. 1 |
 |
| |
Piano Sonata No. 3 |
| Shapey: |
Mutations |
|   |
Mutations II |
|   |
12 Variations |
|
Bridge #9243
www.BridgeRecords.com
|
| "David
Holzman surely stands among the greatest living exponents of 20th-century
American music. The 58 year old New York pianist's last CD (Music of Wolpe,
BRIDGE 9116) was Grammy nominated, won the 2003 Indie Award for 'Best Classical
CD of the Year', and won a Deems Taylor award. This new disc continues along
that same intensely virtuosic path, with heroic readings of seminal works of
Roger Sessions (1896- 1985) and Ralph Shapey (1921-2002). These performances
simply must be heard to be believed! What distinguishes Holzman's superb
pianism from so many others is his uncommonly deep musical vision which lends
poetry and unity to even the most complex and sprawling structures. Here are
pianism and musicianship of the very highest order." |
|
—Bridge Records
|
"Let
it be said that Sessions (or Shapey) simply couldn't have a better
advocate and interpreter than David Holzman. This disc is one that
elicits the 'Wow' response. The pianist has unerringly steely
technique, but he has an intellect that allows him to grasp confidently the
conception and structural line of this music. He clarifies everything. There
are passages where the dense contrapuntal textures are so well differentiated,
one might assume this was four-hand music (as an example, the fiery,
overflowing explosion of Mutations II has to be heard to be believed. If there
is any drawback, it is that one will not get the most tender or liquid touch
from Holzman (though this does not mean the man can't produce a pianissimo).
The playing is, as I said, 'steely'. But it's a small price to pay for the
passion, control and rigor that I think admirably matches the spirit of both
composers' music. On top of it, the pianist writes suitably challenging,
intellectually chewy notes. And Bridge's sonics are bracingly big and clear.
While a little out of left field, this could be a Want List item for me come
year's end."
|
|
—
Robert Carl, Fanfare Magazine |
|
| Stefan
Wolpe: Compositions for Piano (1920-1952) |
| Sonata
(1925)* |
|
| Gesang
(1920) |
|
| Tango
(1927) |
for liner notes, see
ESSAYS |
| The
Good Spirit of a Right Cause (1941)* |
 |
| Battle
Piece (1943-47) |
| Waltz
for Merle (1952)* |
| Zemach
Suite (1939) |
|
GRAMMY Award
Nominee--Best Classical Solo Performance
Indie Award - Best Classical Album
ASCAP - Deems Taylor Award- Best Liner Notes |
Bridge #9118
www.BridgeRecords.com
|
| "
For those who dare to venture into the rarefied world of Stefan
Wolpe, they could hardly do better than with this exceptional Bridge
release.
" |
|
—
(Uncle) Dave Lewis, Allmusic |
|
| Wolpe: |
Battle Piece*; Displaced
Spaces* |
|
| Pleskow: |
Epitaph and Caprice* |
| Greenbaum: |
Mischsprache for Piano and
Tape* |
|
CRI SD
538
|
| "The same intrepid label has just
given us another Great Day by issuing David Holzman's searing
account of another legend, Wolpe's Battle Piece. Elliott
Carter called Battle Piece 'amazing.' It's at least that and so is
Holzman's mighty performance. This is an experience you owe
yourself. You'll never forget it." |
|
—Richard Taruskin, Opus
Magazine
|
| "Mr.
Holzman's recital on Composers' Recordings is one of the great piano
discs of the decade..." |
|
—Peter G. Davis, New
York Magazine
|
|
| Wolpe: |
Music for a Dancer*
Lied Anrede Hymnus Strophe* |
 |
| Pleskow: |
Sonata #1* |
| Maxwell Davies: |
Farewell to
Stromness;
Yesnaby Ground; Sonata (excerpts) |
|
Centaur
Records CRC 2102
www.centaurrecords.com |
| "New
York Pianist David Holzman has put together an impressive and
coherent program of important modern piano music not available anywhere
else. He is an eloquent advocate for these three
composers, not only as a pianist but in his literate and helpful
liner notes... throughout the disc, Holzman provides vivid
characterization and contrapuntal clarity.: |
|
—Scott
Wheeler, Fanfare
|
|
| Martino: |
Fantasy*;
Impromptu for Roger*;
12 Preludes* (excerpts); Fantasies and Impromptus |
|
Albany
Troy 169
|
| Martino: |
Pianississimo |
Albany
Troy 168
|
| "Holzman
is an amazing pianist to listen to, engaging a technique of blazing
accuracy in the service of beautifully expressive playing. The
scores are filled with poetic descriptions of the musical intent
behind the exacting notation and Holzman manages to give equal
weight to the exactitude and to the poetry ...every detail is
employed in the service of communicating meaning on the part of both
the composer and the performer. One special joy is the wonderfully
expressive variety of uses out to the grace note decorations. Both
compact discs include six pages of helpful booklet notes. Holzman's
are particularly lucid." |
|
—Louis
Goldstein, American Music
|
| ",,,anyone
listening to Mr. Holzman's performance of Mr. Martino's compositions
on these Albany CDs will surely admire his sterling qualities of
touch, timing and tone." |
|
—Richard
Taruskin, The New York Times
|
| "The
performances are wonderful throughout." |
|
—Robert
Carl, Fanfare
|
|
| Explorations |
| Boros: |
Mnem* |
 |
| Cornicello: |
Sonata* |
| Yttrehus: |
Explorations* |
| Pleskow: |
Sonata #2* (excerpts) |
| Greenbaum: |
Amulet* |
|
Centaur
Records, CRC 2291
www.centaurrecords.com |
| "[The
music] certainly makes punishing demands on the player, and David
Holzman acquits himself with brilliance, He simply burns the
keyboard up, producing vivid, often thunderous sonorities vividly
captured by Centaur's realistic sound. These fierce, demanding works
are well worth hearing, especially with such a splendid performance
and recording." |
|
—Daniel Sullivan,
American Record Guide |
|
| Visions |
| Bloch: |
Visions and
Prophecies; Ex Voto* |
 |
| Ben-Haim: |
Five Pieces
for Piano |
| Avni: |
Epitaph* |
| Schoenberg: |
Drei
Klavierstucke (excerpts) |
| Wolpe: |
from the
Palestinian Notebook* (excerpts) |
|
Albany
Troy 283
|
| "This
fascinating recording presents piano music by Jewish composers of
three generations. In his brilliant performances, David Holzman
illuminates the many-sidedness and distinctiveness of the styles
heard here. The high artistic level of the material reaches from
Wolpe's Jewish folk miniatures which, in their aphoristic brevity
serve a much higher purpose than that of mere encores, to the
epochal abstraction of Schoenberg's op.11. I have rarely heard these
works so clearly illuminated and differentiated as here." |
|
—Knute
Franke, Fonoforum, Germany |
|
|
*premiere
recording
|
|
| Wolpe: |
Dance
in Form of a Chaconne (from Zemach Suite - 1939) (excerpts) |
| Wolpe: |
Stehendemusik
(from Sonata - 1925) (excerpts) |