Bach & Beyond - Gabriela Montero

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Gabriela Montero (Composer), Unspecified (Composer), Gabriela Montero (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Gabriela Montero
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriela Montero, Unspecified
• Audio CD (September 12, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000HC2PC2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,483 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Inventions
  #13 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Toccatas
  #21 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Improvisation

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Taking as her base 12 works of Bach, Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero proceeds to play variations on each. The works are familiar and most Classical fans will recognize their melodies instantly. But Montero, who is closer to a jazz improvisationalist than a classical pianist merely embellishing, alters rhythm as well as melody, and the results are invariably both surprising and delightful. The Presto from the Italian Concerto is positively wacky, but "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" sticks to the piece's mood with truth and originality. Montero plays "beyond" Bach with good taste and respect, and always with intense musicality. The results may seem improvised, but I doubt they are---they seem to well worked through---but that is more of a plus than a minus. You'll revel in hearing old favorites "interpreted" and find some unexpected pleasures here. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True improvisations -- a wonder!, October 15, 2006

By	P. Pederson "oddbadger" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I struggle for the words to express how thrilled I am. Ms Montero is resurrecting the art of spontaneous improvisation in the field of classical music. Robert Levine, the Amazon site reviewer, hopefully has listened to the NPR interviews or the podcast and is now aware that Ms Montero did indeed improvise these on the spot. The only preparation lies in the fact that Gabriela Montero has been playing in this spontaneous way since before she was 3 years old! She was given a toy piano when she was 7 months and soon started picking out the songs her mother sang her to sleep with. Her talent today truly is astonishing! Give her a tune or theme never heard before, and she magically weaves a new piece out of it. We have read of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Gershwin all doing this -- it's a wonder and a fresh delight to hear how marvellously she does it for us. Kudos!

51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bach, Mozart and Beethoven Would Be Delighted..., September 20, 2006

By	Edward R. Kriege (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's an often neglected fact that Bach, Mozart and Beethoven were master improvisers, and I often wonder how they would feel about 'classical music' having become so exclusively addicted to reproducing the notes on the page. It seems that the latter of the three important legs of a musician's stool -- technique, interpretation, and improvisation -- has been forgotten in lieu of endless variation on the former two legs.

Efforts like Ms. Montero's (e.g. Walter/Wendy Carlos' S-OB, Corea/McFerrin's Mozart Sessions, Keith Jarrett) seem generally received by the cognoscenti as a bit of an oddity, falling outside established parameters of classification. But to the degree that music should incorporate spontaneity, Ms. Montero's prodigious talent shines a bright light in a dark corner of a musical genre in desperate need of being revitalized. This is a wonderful effort not to be missed -- musician or music lover should delight -- as I believe the Masters would -- at spontaneous creativity being breathed into these masterworks.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent improvisations amazing talent, September 19, 2006

By	Jesus Daniel Lima Candeias "JesUs Lima" (Caracas Venezuela) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Congratulations to Gabriela Montero for develop a great experience and enjoy on some Bach themes, excellent fluid improvisations. Not only an Excellent Piano player but a great musician Gabriela is. I think we like to hear more new music creations than more interpretations. I hope to enjoy more music creations like this CD from Montero and from others with this amazing talent.