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Noam Lemish: Erlebnisse
ByThe album is well-titled: "erlebnis" is a German word for a transformative personal experience, and each of the sixteen tracks creates an enchanting, self-enclosed space perfect for exploration and discovery. The pieces are wholly improvised, ranging in length from very brief sketches of a minute or two to more substantial offerings of four to six minutes; but even the longer pieces don't quite feel sufficient in exhausting the riches of Lemish's ideas. For instance, the first track is one of the album's loveliest, with floating right-hand figures intertwined with delicate counterpoint in the left hand; the piece's melodic potential seems fully realized just before it ends. And the ninth track may be even more emotionally powerful, with a somber lyricism that aches with yearning. Four quick minutes and it's gonebut fortunately one can, and will want to, return to these pieces for repeated encounters.
The echoes of Lemish's devotion to Jewish folk music are plainly audible on a few of these cuts, with small gestures and melodic devices that connect the recording to that tradition; the second track is an especially good example, with subtle overtones emerging periodically throughout the piece. And on a couple tracks, Lemish takes some interesting detours, with a tumultuous, brooding left hand catalyzing the mysterious mood of the eighth track, and clever use of prepared piano on the fifth cut for additional contrast on a piece that also carries an unmistakable folk resonance. The most technically impressive piece may be the fourteenth, where Lemish's thunderous exclamations alternate with pensive ruminations, establishing an unsettled and unrelenting tension.
A worthy solo statement, Erlebnisse should garner increased visibility for a pianist whose creativity and talent more than justify it.
Track Listing
Erlebnisse 1 through 16.
Personnel
Noam Lemish
pianoAlbum information
Title: Erlebnisse | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Self Produced
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