PODCAST

evocation

by Victor Spiegel

"Apart from being the driving force behind the ensemble Darvish, Victor Spiegel performs individually. The CD Evocation is a recording of his solo piano compositions and, like the self-titled Darvish album, this is vintage Spiegel. Not only is he a pianist with astounding technical abilities, his interpretations are also highly original and sophisticated. Spiegel's versatility as a composer and arranger is further underscored by his apparent genius for incorporating a wide variety of musical styles from around the world. For Evocation he has borrowed from jazz, American folk, Turkish, Spanish, Jewish as well as mainstream western classical music traditions. The most amazing piece on this album is an adaptation of Indonesian gamelan music. Originally performed by a metallaphone orchestra consisting of a plethora of percussionists, Spiegel pulls it off to play a piano solo combining blues with gamelan scales. The result is a truly amazing blend that has retained an authentic Indonesian