【专辑艺人】: Kathryn Kaye

【专辑名称】: What the Winter Said

【发行日期】: November 1, 2013

【唱片公司】: Kathryn Kaye

【专辑类型】: Piano/ Instrumental/ Easy Listening

 

 

[专辑介绍]：

 

What the Winter Said is the third truly exceptional release from pianist/composer Kathryn Kaye, following her chart-topping "Dreaming Still" (2011) and "Heavy As a Feather" (2012). Will Ackerman again worked his magic as producer at his Imaginary Road Studios, and the line-up of stellar supporting musicians includes Charlie Bisharat (violin), Eugene Friesen (cello), Ackerman (guitar), Gus Sebring (French horn), and Jill Haley (English horn). Three of the compositions are solo piano, and the other twelve are ensemble creations. Ten of the pieces are original, four are old and seldom-heard Christmas carols, and one is a lovely cover of an Ackerman composition. This album is beyond beautiful, performed in a graceful and understated way. Even though the theme is winter, it is not music relegated to the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s only.

 

The album begins with “A Rose in Winter,” a sweet and gentle piano solo that suggests a peaceful landscape and the silent majesty of falling snow. I love “Brightest and Best,” a beautiful Christmas song I hadn’t heard before. Bisharat’s extraordinary musicianship floats on a cloud one minute and soars to the stars another - he chokes me up every time! “Midwinter Lullaby” is an elegant yet earthy trio for piano, cello, and English horn. “Sky Full of Stars” is another favorite. Anyone who has gazed into a dark night sky away from city lights will be enraptured by Kaye’s pianistic expression of twinkling stars. Violin, cello, and bass create musical magic as they paint vivid sonic images of a brilliant night sky. The soothing yet melancholy “A Slow Walk into Dusk” is a poignant trio for piano, cello, and French horn. Changing the mood to celebratory, “The Arrival” conveys excitement and anticipation. The ancient “Carol of the Birds” is arranged as a dark and haunting duet for piano and cello - also a favorite. The title track is a incredible piano solo that swirls and sparkles yet remains soft-spoken and subtle - effortless piano wizardry! “The Huron Carol” is Canada’s oldest Christmas carol (written around 1642), and Kaye’s piano/French horn duet makes me wonder why this is a fairly unusual instrumental pairing. Somber and very stirring, it’s another favorite. Will Ackerman’s “The Bricklayer’s Beautiful Daughter,” arranged for piano and French horn, is a soft and gentle love song expressed with grace and subtlety. “Frost” is a sparkling piano solo that is more free-form than melodic, gracefully expressing a cold, still, beauty - superb! “Cumberland Mountain Hymn” brings this wonderful album to a close with an original folk-hymn for piano, accompanied by Tom Eaton on accordion and autoharp.

 

 

[专辑曲目]：

 

01. A Rose In Winter

02. Brightest And Best

03. Midwinter Lullaby

04. The Shortest Days

05. Sky Full Of Stars

06. A Slow Walk Into Dusk

07. The Arrival

08. Carol Of The Birds

09. What The Winter Said

10. Huron Carol

11. The Close Of Another Year

12. The Holly Bears A Berry

13. The Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter

14. Frost

15. Cumberland Mountain Hymn