TRACK LISTING

1 Nocturne No. 1, Op. 166 "Notturno Spettrale: Hommage à Chopin" (4:19)
2 Nocturne No. 2, Op. 197 "Notturno Misterioso: From an occult notebook” (5:42)
3 Nocturne No. 3, Op. 230 No. 1  (10:37)
4 Nocturne No. 4, Op. 230 No. 2  (3:15)
5 Nocturne No. 5 in B major, Op. 299 (3:15)
6 Nocturne No. 6, Op. 328 (5:33)
7 Nocturne No. 7, Op. 405  "The Devil’s Lyre" (6:09)
8 Bell-Fanfare, Op. 369 (3:39)
Barcarolle Elegies Op.160
9 I. Lento (5:16)
10 II. Andante con moto (4:10)
Calligraphic Poems Op.224
11 I. Allegretto (2:23)
12 II. Andante con moto (2:43)
13 III. Moderato appassionato (3:33)
14 IV. Allegro (1:45)
15 V. Lento molto (2:41)
16 VI. Allegro festivo (3:51)

REVIEWS

“These two exceptional collections make it resoundingly clear, however, that Liebermann’s as formidable a pianist as he is composer…the album’s world premiere recordings provide a stellar introduction to Hackbridge-Johnson’s idiosyncratic soundworld…One comes away from the recordings awed by Liebermann’s pianistic prowess, not to mention impressed by the stamina and concentration he demonstrates in bringing the lengthier pieces into being. He serves himself and Hackbridge Johnson extremely well in his essaying of the material, and if there’s any justice the releases should do much to enhance appreciation of their respective works.” ——textura.org

“All these pieces are brilliantly executed by noted composer-pianist Lowell Liebermann, who not only plays this music as lovingly as if he’d written it himself, but has written the informative program notes for the Steinway & Sons CD. The piano sound is vibrant and thrilling throughout the disc, not only due to Liebermann’s impressive abilities as pianist, but also because of the skill of the engineer in capturing every nuance of his playing in such lifelike fashion.” ——David De Boor Canfield, Fanfare

“Following the three stunning discs of his orchestral music…we now have the welcome opportunity to sample this unique, largely unclassifiable, and polymathic composer's extensive output for the piano. As the orchestral works made clear, Hackbridge Johnson does not shy away from the expression of raw emotion, dark and disturbing subject matter, or personal trauma in his arresting and accessible tonally based works that might nevertheless legitimately be described as "for serious performers and listeners only", and this is evident here too…The Calligraphic Poems show an altogether different aspect of the multifaceted composer; characteristically inventive in colour and texture, these pieces, inspired by an exhibition of Japanese calligraphy, are elegant, precise and vividly evocative.” ——Records International

“…with his considerable technical abilities and his innate musical sensitivity, Liebermann brings a palpable commitment to and belief in the repetoire he records…In these nocturnes (and throughout the disc), Liebermann’s extraordinary ear for harmony is on full display. He knows just how ling a dissonance needs to hang in the air before it is ready to resolve; he knows how much space to give a thicker sonoirity so that the ear can digest it fully; he knows which notes to emphasize in a series of tightly voiced treble chords to allow the ear to follow the progression…Liebermann offers a splendid wealth of articulation and an impressive range of dynamics…(he) demonstrates his knack for developing almost orchestral timbres from the various registers of the piano…All six of the poems come through in vivid color…Lowell Liebermann’s finely attuned interpretations of this music make for a superb introduction to it.” ——Myron Silberstein, Fanfare