NOTES about THE ALBUM

 

TOCCATA ZORAN HRISTIĆ

 

Toccata showcases an effort to achieve new expression in the sound of the piano and not stand side with current trends. In his music, Hristić connects avant-garde Serbian and European music on the basis of their specific relationships to the past. Hristić is strongly connected to Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki by the treatment of the 12 chromatic scales often presented in clusters of ‘short’ seconds, lack of thematic material, and the use of instruments that achieve sound effects that are close to noise.

 

LYRIC OF ATHOS SVETISLAV BOŽIĆ

 

Lyric of Athos portrays Božić’s intent to explore the sounds of the unknown in Serbian music of the 20th Century. His compositional process is moving the field of consonant, conventional sound, surpassing it with balanced dissonance. Tonally, he respects tradition while trying to move beyond, echoing the choral chants of the orthodox faith to add an element of spirituality.

 

VICTORY & WAR MARTA BRANKOVICH

 

Victory & War are two of Brankovich’s very first compositions, composed between 2015-16. These composition belong to the piano album Serbian Journey. Since leaving Serbia in her early 20s, Marta has carried a strong sense of ethnic heritage, culture, and the traditions of her homeland -- all of which needed to emerge beyond her activity as a classical concert pianist. Her compositional approach is neoclassical and, in a certain sense, minimalistic. The piece is inspired by melodies from her childhood and dramatic elements of choral music coming from southern Serbia and regions of Kosovo. Brankovich believes that her melodies portray the “screams of the lost souls that vanished in the wars during the 1990s in the Balkan region.”

 

TROIS GNOSSIENNES ERIK SATIE

 

The Trois Gnossiennes were written in the late 19th Century. For the most part, compositions are in free time, and are highly experimental with form, rhythm, and chordal structure. The form as well as the term was invented by Satie. The first and third Gnossiennes share similar chordal structures, rhythm, and reference to each other’s thematic material.

 

METAMORPHOSIS FREDRICK KAUFMAN

 

Metamorphosis is a three movement composition in which the first four measures of the first movement portray the basis of the development of the entire work. Kaufman makes extensive use of counterpoint, jazz harmonies, and varied formal styles (i.e. pointillism and fugue), all of which become a serious playground for classical concert pianist.

 

 YIN AND YANG FREDRICK KAUFMAN

 

Yin and Yang, A Dialogue Between Two Grand Pianos is made up of numerous mood shifts in which Kaufman attempts to show off the beauty, energy, and percussiveness of the piano. In order to achieve these moods, the composer utilizes several 20th-century piano techniques, including glissandos and tone clusters, for color and energy purposes. The composition presents the two pianos with the yin/yang interdependency concept in mind.

 

LUX AETERNA CLINT MANSELL

 

Lux Aeterna (Latin for “eternal light”) is a leitmotif composition from the 2000 film Requiem for a Dream. Mansell described it as a “composition [that] presents [a] three-chord progression with a melancholic and slower groove” that is also “very intense and emotional.” Mansell scored the music for the film Black Swan which inspired Marta Brankovich on her own pianistic journey.

 

 

SPECIAL THANKS

 

I would like to thank Frederick Kaufman, who has been one of my biggest supporters and mentors in recent years. He has believed in my talent and has helped me immensely in the creation of this album. His music elevated me to a whole new level as a classical concert pianist and has awakened feelings that I have never experienced before while performing his music.

 

I would also like to thank Nebojša Branković, my husband, who fell in love with me and my piano performances from the very first moment he heard me play. From the start he believed in the beauty of my dreams, helped me achieve them, and he continues to be the constant guidance and light that leads the way. I feel blessed to have such an extraordinary person by my side.