mmmm, swans (only my sisters will get this...)

Hi, everyone! In anticipation of our Jan. 15 album release, we have posted a new video for you to watch. Behold "The Swan":

As you can see, this differs from most of our other YouTube creations in that it's a pretty straightforward, performance-based video (and we're finally on two dovetailed pianos!). We taped it in August around midnight after one of our "Reimagine" recording sessions. The stage manager at SUNY Purchase, Val Franco, offered to take the camera for a few moving shots, and we took care of the other camera angles, setting up the camcorder at various spots in the recital hall. Another unique quality about this video is that it's dreamier in mood (to match the music's shimmering lyricism). Plus, this video is here to whet your appetite as this piece is included on our CD, so enjoy!

(Just so you know, we've got some more special treats for you coming up, so brace yourselves!) -Liz

new year, new album

Happy New Year! We wish all of you a wonderful year ahead. 2008 has begun with lots of momentum; things are definitely in full swing. Greg and I each have a great deal on our plates, individually and collectively, but as always we welcome these challenges and opportunities with open arms.

Our main priority at this time is the launch of our debut album "Reimagine" -- the official release date is set for January 15, at which point the album will be available for purchase and/or download on CD Baby, Amazon, and iTunes. For an extensive preview of "Reimagine," check out our website: you'll find a Top 10 list, extended program notes, audio clips, and more. For the full 3-D experience, be sure to purchase a hard copy of the CD; in addition to having your hands on the deluxe, beautifully-designed packaging (featuring photos from our spontaneous adventure in the mountains last summer!), you'll also get a bonus DVD containing our infamous YouTube videos.

On a more personal note, we want to dedicate this album to you, our fans. Your energetic support uplifts us each and every day, and we resolve to keep surprising you in the new year!

Cheers to happiness, health and peace in 2008! -Liz

Jennifer's Question

Dear Greg & Liz,
I'm curious about your upcoming debut album! Why did you guys choose Reimagine as your album title? What is its significance and what messages would you like your album to convey? I'm really excited about the album and can't wait to hear more information about it! :)
- Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

We're really excited about the album too! We poured vast amounts of energy, time, expense, and love into the album and we are proud of the result.

The title, "Reimagine," was inevitable. We've reimagined virtually everything we do as a piano duo, and we wanted our album to convey our unique approach to classical music.

Most notably, we've reimagined the music we play: everything on the album is composed or arranged by us (other than our intense rendition of The Rite of Spring, which is itself a reimagining of the orchestral version). This reimagining of music occurs in a variety of ways. For example, consider our two versions of Danse macabre: the CD begins with our "Remix" of Danse macabre; it's a complete departure from the original and an entirely new work in our distinctive musical language, although it employs the familiar motives from Saint-Saëns's Danse macabre and Fossils. The CD concludes with a much more traditional approach to the piece; we honor the spirit of the original but recreate the music according to the strengths of our instrumentation.

Of course, we haven't just reimagined the music we play. We've reimagined the concept of four hands at one piano; we treat one piano/four-hands as not only something suited to domestic life, but as something with huge potential for the grand concert stage. We've reimagined our approach to the presentation of classical music (view our music videos for an example of this!). We've reimagined the nature of a piano duo relationship. Unlike most piano duos, our relationship is not defined by family or romance, but by friendship -- a friendship that shapes our collaborations as composers, performers, and creators -- a friendship that yields awesome adrenaline and joy. And finally, we reimagined our concept of a classical music album. We approached our album as independent producers (without the backing of a record label) so that we could retain complete artistic control over the album's content, design, and marketing. The album contains exciting repertoire that we love (and that we composed ourselves!), a bonus DVD featuring several of our YouTube videos, expansive and beautifully designed packaging, and short commentary written by us about our approach to music ("reimagine!"), about the nature of music listening, and about the beauty of collaboration. Heck, we've even prepared action-packed, movie-styled trailers to help publicize the album!

What is the significance of the album and what messages would we like it to convey? This album will defy your expectations on all levels; it is shocking, exciting, revolutionary, and sophisticated, and it will resonate with you in a personal and powerful way. What is the music about? It's about the human experience, it's about racing heartbeats and physical friction, it's about the passions that undulate beneath the restraint of daily life, about the timelessness of dreams, the manic states of being, the unrest of our current times...

The official release date is January 15, 2008. Subscribers to the mailing list will be able to purchase the CD earlier.

Star Wars revisited

Wow, nearly a month has gone by since my last blog entry—time flies! While things have been relatively quiet on the duo front, Greg and I want you to know that exciting things are on the horizon, most notably our debut album (which is due to be released in January). In the meantime, check out the latest videos we've posted on YouTube (or watch them below). In these videos you will see Greg and I performing two movements of our Star Wars Fantasy: Four Impressions for Two Pianos. Both performances were taped live in concert.

This performance of "Impression 1" was an encore at Greg's master's degree recital at The Juilliard School in April 2006. Impression 1 is an Art Tatum-esque rag based on the iconic Cantina theme from the original Star Wars film, otherwise known as Episode IV. It is fiendishly difficult (note the constant jumps in the bass and the skittering passagework all over the keyboard) but its spirit is carefree and playful. Fragments of other musical motives are embedded in the texture: if you're astute enough you may notice the Force Theme, Darth Vader's theme, Yoda's theme, and various excerpts of the battle music.

This performance of "Impression 2" was recorded at my master's recital at Juilliard, just a few days after Greg's recital. This movement, in contrast to the first movement, is fluid and free. It is centered on the ubiquitous Force theme.

While composing this work, Greg and I intentionally avoided a direct "translation" of John Williams's score. Instead, we focused on the music's character, atmosphere, and irresistible appeal. I recall watching all six films in succession during spring break that year, stuffing ourselves with pizza and Chinese food. Greg and I marveled over virtuosic light saber duels, argued over the coolness of Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo (Greg prefers Luke whereas I'm a Solo woman, probably because I've always loved the romantic tension between him and Leia, one of my favorite cinematic heroines!), and—of course—we noted which themes excited and moved us. This process of watching the entire series and listening to all the soundtracks was not only a tremendous source of enjoyment and satisfaction (believe me, the arc is really impressive when you take in all the episodes consecutively in two sittings!); it ultimately provided us with a global view of the saga. As we transfered our ideas to paper, we sought to capture the films' epic scope, mythic resonance, and undeniable sense of fun. We hope these pieces—and performances—relay fresh and piquant impressions of the Star Wars universe. Enjoy!

P.S. In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I just want to tell you how grateful Greg and I are to have such devoted and enthusiastic fans. You're the best! -Liz

recording madness

Hello, readers—I'm back from my blogging break (which elapsed not out of neglect, just sheer busyness!). I hope you're all having a snazzy autumn thus far. I love the vibrant colors and melancholic mood of the fall season, but not the shortening of daylight!

Despite our separate commitments this fall (Greg with his doctoral courses/dissertation work/composing, me with my solo recitals/Ensemble ACJW concerts/teaching), Greg and I have been consistently and painstakingly working on our forthcoming album. Greg and I are going indie-style with this whole recording thing. It's great to have nearly complete autonomy over all elements of the production (the repertoire, editing, design, etc.), but it's also a time-consuming, creatively-challenging process. In any case, it's really fitting that Greg and I are going the independent route with our "debut" CD because we're free-spirited individualists at heart, and we've always been fully involved in all aspects of our professional output, whether it be the website, YouTube videos, programming, or compositions. This recording has given us the opportunity to take artistic chances, and we've had a lot of fun (well, stress-laced fun!) along the way: spending hours on end with our fabulous recording engineer Joe Patrych in his Bronx studio; writing about what this music means to us (while trying to stay within a word limit—a nightmare for me!); filtering through photo after photo of us atop a mountain; sharing design concepts; either being impressed, dismayed, or surprised at what we sound like on record!

The recording process is a highly collaborative one, and it is our hope that this album embodies the nexus of our ideas and ideals, our imaginings and efforts, our intensity and joy. EJR