Virtuoso Alice 
David Del Tredici
Out of My Hands
Koch, KIC-CD-7553
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Buy this CD
Even fearful traditional classical music fans might want to pony up their $16 for Anthony de Mare's latest Koch release, Out of My Hands. The CD is a mix of solo piano works by David Del Tredici and Aaron Jay Kernis that's musically intriguing without any of that scary angular modernism or atonality. Despite the characteristic intimacy usually inherent in solo work, de Mare's playing throughout feels broad and powerful. The sweeping lines of the opening two tracks—Del Tredici's Ballad in Yellow and Virtuoso Alice—melt together with heavy use of the sustain pedal. Kenis's Before Sleep and Dreams, by contrast, is a delicate music box of a piece that would likely prepare the listener for some pleasant dreams. The final five tracks, none longer than six minutes, complete the recording. The brief pieces by Del Tredici quote playfully from other composers. Kernis also appropriates a bit of pop culture style in Speed Limit Rag, an obvious homage to George Gershwin, and Superstar Etude No. 1, a work filled with the piano equivalent of the power chord. —MS
1. David Del Tredici: Ballad in Yellow (5:56)
2. David Del Tredici: Virtuoso Alice (1984)
3-7. Aaron Jay Kernis: Before Sleep and Dreams (24:48)
8. David Del Tredici: Wildwood Etude (5:32)
9. David Del Tredici: Opposites Attract (4:56)
10. David Del Tredici: Wedding Song (3:23)
11. Aaron Jay Kernis: Superstar Etude No. 1 (3:18)
12. Aaron Jay Kernis: Speed Limit Rag (2:12)
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