Nadia Shpachenko-Gottesman, the pianist on this album, is known for her dedication to contemporary music and has given world and national premieres of dozens of works by composers like Elliott Carter and Iannis Xenakis.
Instruments
The recording features a Schoenhut 379M 37-key Concert Grand toy piano, alongside Steinway & Sons Model D pianos and percussion instruments.
Interpretation
Pianist Nadia Shpachenko-Gottesman collaborated closely with the composers, often working to make parts they considered unplayable more pianistic, and even welcomed the challenge of proving them wrong.
Recording & Production
The recording sessions for this album primarily took place at night due to a major construction project outside the hall, with the crew checking daily for opportunities to record.
Composition History
The album features world premieres of American classical music written in 2013, created to celebrate and document the 'new b'ak'tun' after the supposed Mayan apocalypse of December 21, 2012.
Album & Artwork
The album's title and concept, 'Woman at the New Piano,' is inspired by Kazimir Malevich's 1913 painting 'Woman at the Piano,' created exactly 100 years before this recording.
