Sojourn

The music of seven living female composers is featured in this release, six of the pieces having been specially commissioned for the recording by the innovative pianist Jessica Johnson. Thoroughly post-modern in approach, the pieces present absorbing soundscapes and are always accessible. Extra-musical sources provide inspiration for some of the compositions. For instance, Lawren Brianna Ware’s visit to Italy resulted in Italian Portraits for Solo Piano, a suite comprising four short impressions, while art by Henri Rousseau inspired the extrovert and sparkling piano and percussion duo by Laura Schwendinger, which closes the album.

Percussion is also effectively featured in Serra Hwang’s Sojourn for Piano and Percussion, which draws on Korean rhythms and modes. The album focuses on color, impressions, and texture rather than instrumental display for its own sake. Jessica Johnson plays with polish and panache and is ably supported by percussionist Anthony di Sanza. The recorded sound is full and resonant.

The nine featured works all contain programmatic elements that are explained by the composers in the detailed liner notes. While each of the seven composers manifests her own musical voice, the repertoire shares many common elements. All of the works are in an unapologetically contemporary idiom that will not overtax or overstress the vast majority of concertgoers. Both extended techniques and harsh dissonance are rare occurrences. The music is colorful, well-crafted, and communicative, affording the pianist ample opportunity for both lyrical and more brilliant expression. The two works for piano and percussion (Hwang’s Sojourn and Schwendinger’s Equatorial Jungle) are vibrant, compelling pieces that, not surprisingly, celebrate the incorporation of jazz. Jessica Johnson is a fluent, committed, and eloquent advocate for these contemporary pieces. Her duets with percussionist Anthony Di Sanza (also a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) crackle with energy and pinpoint execution. The recorded sound is excellent. This is a most enjoyable recital of contemporary piano repertoire. Recommended.

Throughout this varied program, Johnson meets the varied technical and musical challenges each composer presents. Her playing differentiates between levels of piano and pianissimo, as well as presenting a strong rhythmic pulse and warm lyricism when called for. Anthony Di Sanza adds sensitive and colorful percussion in the two pieces he performs. The recording, made at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is excellent. Each composer has supplied effective program notes. This disc is especially recommended to listeners with an interest in the current state of contemporary American piano music.