By The River
Centaur, 2026
9/10
The esteemed pianist Eliza Garth presents an expressive and technical body of work that makes for 6 memorable and detailed pieces.
David Froom’s “Variations On An Early American” opens with Garth’s expressive keys emitting beauty and melody, and Scott Wheeler’s “Beach Spring” follows with detailed attention to mood, where the unpredictable piano is quite mesmerizing.
Entering the middle, “Teeth”, by Sheree Clement, spends 10+ minutes drawing us into the voice, ambience and curious keys, while “Six Choral Preludes, Op. 122” emits lush and poetic ideas across the many segments that can be firm, harmonic and heartfelt via Johannes Brahms’ vision.
Frederick Tillis’ “Spiritual Fantasy No. 4” exits, and it’s an atypical and charming bout that pays close attention to space, emotion and atmosphere.
An extremely well thought out effort, Garth takes the hymn influences and parlays it into a highly diverse and enlightening experience.
Travels well with: Daniel Strong Godfrey- Toward Light; Louise Dubin- Passages: French Cello Works