William Bolcom - Suite of Preludes (Jenny Lin)

Information

Composer: William Bolcom

1. Suite of Preludes: I. Melancholy Waltz
2. Suite of Preludes: II. Arabesques
3. Suite of Preludes: III. Light Fantastic
4. Suite of Preludes: IV. Spring Has Come at Last
5. Suite of Preludes: V. Fools Errands
6. Suite of Preludes: VI. Cavatina
7. Suite of Preludes: VII. Will This Ever End?
8. Suite of Preludes: VIII. Litany
9. Suite of Preludes: IX. Jig

Jenny Lin, piano

Date: 2024

Label: Steinway and Sons

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Description

National Medal of Arts, Pulitzer Prize, and GRAMMY Award-winning composer William Bolcom’s Suite of Preludes was given its World Premiere in October 2021 at Hudson Hall in Hudson, New York by Steinway Artist Jenny Lin. Composed during the Coronavirus lockdown, this nine-movement suite is comprised of miniatures that reveal the personal side of Bolcom - they contain elements of humor, obscure thematic quotes, jazz chords - all within the European American style for which the composer is known.

“Each Prelude can stand alone while each also suggests the start of something longer and more complex. The 3rd movement, Light Fantastic, raises new questions with almost every measure…the effect is mesmerizing.”

  — Classical Post

“Lin’s playing expresses every nuance of the musical story... Intelligent piano playing of enormous verve and emotional range.” 

— Audiophile Audition    

                                  

“Jenny Lin is a pianist of the first rank who commands an enviably economical technique and a silvery singing sound that propels music directly to the heart.”

 — Washington Post

“A rainbow of dazzling color that Lin lofted in air—too much to absorb at a first hearing as her fluid dexterity never missed a note on this roller-coaster of rollicking sound bending in different directions like a winking star. The density of the music shocks and smiles: it will require the pleasure of repeated hearings.” 

 — The Millbrook Independent

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William Bolcom (born 26 May 1938) is an American composer and pianist known for bridging popular and classical music traditions. Educated at the University of Washington, Mills College, the Paris Conservatory and Stanford University, he later served as professor of composition at the University of Michigan. A prolific composer, Bolcom wrote works across genres, including piano études, operas, orchestral music and song cycles, and showed a particular affinity for ragtime. He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and multiple Grammy Awards in 2006. Bolcom has also been active as a performer, writer, editor and educator.

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Jenny Lin (born 1973) is a Taiwanese-born American pianist. She studied in Vienna, Baltimore and Geneva with teachers including Noel Flores, Julian Martin and Dominique Weber. She also worked with Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, and others. She has performed with orchestras worldwide and premiered works by composers such as Stefano Gervasoni and Unsuk Chin. Her performances have included venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center. Lin has released over 50 recordings, and is creator of Melody's Mostly Musical Day, a children's musical picture book and concert.

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