Notturno

Confession: I kinda have a thing for Donald Martino. May sound weird, but it all started a long time ago when I heard some of his solo piano music—really amazing stuff. Anyway, fast-forward a couple of decades, wade through the heaping pile of awards and accolades, but in the end it still seems that Martino’s music isn’t really performed too often outside of Boston. When’s the last time you listened to a composition by Donald Martino? Had this CD not crossed my path I would not have been able to accurately answer. Despite whatever trends that transpired since the creation of Notturno over 30 years ago, it’s impossible to deny that the piece totally rocks. There’s something in here for everyone: intensity, romanticism, sharp contrasts, swirling timbres, retro-style extended techniques (i.e. key clicks, banging on the piano casing, etc.), and above all else, drama. Definitely not for metathesiophobics, or folks who insist upon eating off divided plates.

—RN