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RD: 2021-12-10 | PAUL LAY | Full Solo | Label: | Gazebo | Fileunder: | Jazz / Klassik / Piano |
| | Paul Lay is a Marvel superhero of the piano, a champion of the piano keys who can make them do whatever he wants.
He belongs to this generation of musical phenomenons who grew up with one foot in classical music, the other in jazz, and understands the soul of both traditions. The former is many centuries old, with its focus on melodic clarity and intonation as well as on the beauty of polyphony and form. The latter, just about a hundred years old, relentlessly explores all the harmonic and rhythmic possibilities of improvisation.
Take these two cultures, blend them together into the mold of the Conservatoire Supérieur National de Musique, sprinkle it with genius, let it rest for a few years and you have Paul Lay. It didn’t take long for him to be noticed; at 30 he was awarded the Prix Charles Cros for his second album, then two years later the prestigious prix Django Reinhardt honoring the musician of the year, then in 2020 the Victoires du Jazz, confirming his status.
With these accomplishments under his belt, he started working on a Beethoven repertoire to celebrate his 250th birthday, at René Martin’s request for the 2020 edition of the Folles Journées de Nantes. He concentrated on a few universal melodies, such as the Moonlight Sonata, Für Elise, Ode to Joy or his Symphony n°9, but also on his own compositions inspired by Beethoven’s music and the places where he had lived: Vienna, Heiligenstadt…
It can be very risky to tackle such a repertoire, and that’s where being a superhero makes all the difference. With amazing technical skills and ideas – and a true appetite for risk – Paul charges head on into these unforgettable tunes (including some that can be a nightmare for any pianist’s neighbour, such as Für Elise!) and appropriates the theme with the utter coolness of a jazzman playing great standards, revealing in the Viennese composer’s work a stellar melodist who begs to be played and reinvented, without losing its timeless modernity.
You will hear no hesitation or false modesty in the pianist’s conversation with his instrument. The solo is an arduous exercise, but the risk is multiplied when you reach back over centuries to tackle sacred figures such as Beethoven. The key is to devote yourself entirely to the task. Thus It is a true act of courage that you hear in this recording, one made by a Marvel piano hero, living for a music he inhabits with passion. FULL SOLO. | Track list | Track | Artist | Title | | | 1 | Paul Lay | Theme Et Variations | | 2 | Paul Lay | In Vienna - Portrait | | 3 | Paul Lay | Hymne A La Joie | | 4 | Paul Lay | In Vienna - Blues | | 5 | Paul Lay | Sonate Au Clair De Lune | | 6 | Paul Lay | Symphonie N7 | | 7 | Paul Lay | Lettre Elise | | 8 | Paul Lay | In Vienna - Water Drops | | 9 | Paul Lay | Lied | | 10 | Paul Lay | Des Sourires Et Des Ombres | | 11 | Paul Lay | In Vienna - Heiligenstadt | | 12 | Paul Lay | Bagatelle | |
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Mosaik Music Promotion
Oberhafen-Kontor / Stadtdeich 27
20097 Hamburg |
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