Vintage Americana
Navona, 2021
8/10
The Canadian pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico turns in a very meticulous listen of 6 tracks from American composers, where tonality, electronic manipulation and Quilico’s atypical vision make for very exciting textures.
Lowell Liebermann’s “Apparations” opens the listen with Quilico’s highly stirring keys emitting both warmth and mystery in a very intimate setting, and “Fantasy Pieces”, by David Del Tredici, follows with an unpredictable approach that’s firm at some points, but then also bare at others.
Moving down the line, the 10+ minutes of “Quivi Sospiri” rumbles low initially, before entering haunting territory, and, later on, displays a hypnotic demeanor in the David Jaeger composition, and “Ocotillo”, by Paul Huebner, exits the listen with a more rugged delivery that quivers with an almost sci-fi angle.
A listen that essentially rewrites what the piano is capable of, Quilico’s solo piano expertise is nothing short of stunning and the moments of electronics only add that much more fascination to the listen.
Travels well with: Monika Gurak- Scenes From A Life; Pavel Gintov- Piano Fantasies