The centenary of composer Stefan Wolpe (1902 -- 1972) was celebrated in 2002 with observances and festivals around the world. To judge from contemporary offerings in terms of Wolpe recordings from the deflated classical music industry of the day, one would hardly know this was going on. Nonetheless, a remarkable Wolpe release has made it out of the pipeline in his centennial year. Stefan Wolpe: Compositions for Piano (1920 -- 1952) is the sum of two decades' research into Wolpe's pianism lovingly conducted by pianist David ...
Read More
The centenary of composer Stefan Wolpe (1902 -- 1972) was celebrated in 2002 with observances and festivals around the world. To judge from contemporary offerings in terms of Wolpe recordings from the deflated classical music industry of the day, one would hardly know this was going on. Nonetheless, a remarkable Wolpe release has made it out of the pipeline in his centennial year. Stefan Wolpe: Compositions for Piano (1920 -- 1952) is the sum of two decades' research into Wolpe's pianism lovingly conducted by pianist David Holzman. For a pianist, Wolpe's work represents a challenge of the most formidable kind, as it combines pan-tonal gestures with jazzy rhythms, agitprop tunes jerked out of proportion, and wistful moments of reflective sensitivity. Bringing all of these elements into focus is an incredible task that a mere reading of Wolpe's score is not going to expose. David Holzman is wholly familiar with, and committed to, the letter and spirit of this music. Wolpe is not "easy listening," but the...
Read Less
