The album features pianists Igor Levit, known for his interpretations of Busoni, Bach, and Brahms; Johanna Summer, who improvises between jazz and classical; and Chilly Gonzales, celebrated for his contemporary miniatures.
Compositional Technique
The album features twelve songs created by pairing poems by Allen Ginsberg with piano miniatures by composers such as Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, and Claude Debussy.
Interpretation
The piano parts on this album stick to their original versions with only imperceptible alterations, while the vocals strictly follow the piano's motifs and themes.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Songs With Words," is a deliberate reference to Felix Mendelssohn's and Fanny Hensel's "Songs Without Words," aiming to establish a new musical genre.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Malakoff Kowalski, the album's creator, is drawn to slow, solemn musical poems that feel timeless, dissociated from their Impressionist or Romantic-era origins.
Composition History
The idea for this album originated when Malakoff Kowalski noticed a resemblance between Robert Schumann's fourth Night Piece in F major and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Compositional Technique
Malakoff Kowalski set Allen Ginsberg's poetry to existing piano miniatures, with Ginsberg's unaltered text fitting perfectly, syllable by syllable, into the melodies and harmonies.
