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Piano-Heaven
showcases relaxing and melodic piano music, and the
music contained within this CD epitomises everything
that this web-site is about. Our Mother is Ralph
Zurmühle's third album (the previous two being
Communion and Between) and this CD is almost
entirely solo-piano.
Ralph
Zurmühle was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1959.
He had private lessons from the age of five, and
studied classical music and jazz until he was
twenty. He moved to Catalonia in Spain in 1999,
where he currently lives.
"Being There"
is the opening track of the CD, and it is a beauty.
A lengthy piece at over eight minutes, the track has
a slow, delicate opening and reminds me somewhat of
a flower unfurling. Gradually, the piece develops
and becomes quite uplifting. As with all of Ralph's
compositions, the piece is easy to listen to, and I
am in no doubt of the importance that this musician
attaches to melody.
The album's
second track is more upbeat, with a faster tempo.
This is perhaps explained by the title of the piece-
"The Wind at My Back". There is a definite sense of
freedom in this piece and an element of fun as well.
It makes for an enjoyable listening experience.
"Hymn" is as
majestic as the title would suggest. Indeed, when I
first listened to this piece, I thought the opening
bars sounded like a hymn without having seen the
track titles. This is a very beautiful composition,
much slower initially that the previous track. At
around three minutes, the piece becomes quite dark
and foreboding, before the original opening returns
to add an air of calmness to proceedings once more.
The next two
tracks offer versions of one piece of music- "Our
Mother". The first combines piano with synthesisers,
and the second is solo piano. Interestingly, the
first version is almost twice as long as its
solo-piano partner. As much as I enjoyed the piano /
synthesiser version, for me there is no substitute
for the solo-piano offering. Certainly, track four
is very sedate, and the synthesisers are used very
well to give the piece a truly soporific feel.
There's an ethereal touch as well, reminding me a
little of Constance Demby. The piece develops
beautifully, and comes round full circle to end with
the gentlest of touches.
The solo-piano
version of "Our Mother" is truly a delight. Here is
a composer who is not afraid to use silence in his
music. The melody is incredibly simple, but a joyful
listening experience all the same. I imagine,
judging by the album's seducing front-cover, that
this piece is referring not just to the prayer from
the "Essene Gospel of Peace", but also to the gentle
beauty of Mother Nature. Oh for all days to be like
this day.
The album's
stand-out track for me is "Horizon", track six on
this CD. Minimalist in form, this piece is achingly
beautiful from start to finish. I am reminded of
Arvo Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel" from his highly
successful album "Alina". Rather like that music,
"Horizon" is a lengthy piece, clocking in at a shade
over twenty minutes- twenty minutes of pure heavenly
bliss. I have listened to this track dozens of
times, and never tire of its natural beauty. There
are enough subtle variations and one or two
surprises (such as an unexpected flurry of notes
around the eleven minute mark) to stop this piece
from becoming anything other than essential
listening. Piano-Heaven was made for pieces
like this. Put simply, this is one of the most
gorgeous compositions I have ever heard, and its
beauty lies in its simplicity. I also like the fact
that this piece tells a story, and this story-teller
is in no rush. This one track is worth the price of
the CD alone. The fact that the album's other eight
tracks are of such high quality is merely a very
nice bonus.
Track seven,
"David and Me" is another perfect illustration for
budding pianists as to how silence in a piece can be
incredibly powerful. The track is extremely gentle
and graceful, and although the dynamics increase
later on, the track maintains its heavenly beauty
throughout. It's another fairly lengthy track, at
twelve minutes.
The album's
penultimate track is entitled "The Return". I would
love to know the story behind this track. The music
is optimistic and quite invigorating. Again, the
composer's ear for melody is evident to the
listener. The piece is rather more upbeat than most
of the album, but still manages to be incredibly
relaxing.
Our Mother
closes with a delightful composition simply entitled
"A Melody". Needless to say, it lives up to its
name!
I am extremely
impressed by this album. The recording quality is
top-notch, and those high notes are crystal clear. I
give it my highest recommendation, and suggest the
reader also investigates the composer's other two
albums- in particular the solo piano CD
Between
(2000) which is utterly gorgeous. Ralph Zurmühle has
produced a remarkably consistent album in which
every track is an outright winner. Piano-Heaven
is indebted to artists like this. Take a bow, Mr.
Zurmühle. You deserve it.
S.C. |
