Customer Reviews

Heart of the Rain

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New age pianists are fairly easy to come by, but finding one with something special to say and a unique way of saying it is not so easy. Karen FitzGerald's debut album is a lovely surprise. Her melodies tend to be fairly simple, but are beautifully fleshed out, indicating her extensive classical roots. Karen cites George Winston and Liz Story as major influences on her music, and while those influences are certainly there, the voice is Karen's alone. The music is intensely personal, but is also accessible and open. Fans of Winston's and Story's music should really enjoy "Heart of the Rain", as should fans of Wayne Gratz and Robin Spielberg. All but two of the songs are solo piano, and the other two have washes of synth to add subtle color. "A Rainy Night Outside Your Door" is probably my favorite piece on the CD, with its flowing rubato and poignant sadness - I also like the unpredictability of parts of the melody line. "Moods" is also exceptionally strong both musically and emotionally - it is thoughtful and introspective in the first few minutes, and then gets darker and deeper. Karen's elegant pianism really comes through on this piece. "The Wind's Lament" is gorgeous, with a dark, pensive mood. The three pieces I mentioned specifically are 7-10 1/2 minutes long, and have a spacious quality as well as the feeling that they had time to be fully explored and developed. The shorter pieces are also excellent (especially the touching "Lullaby" that closes the CD), but these longer works are exceptional. I highly recommend "Heart of the Rain"!

New age pianists are fairly easy to come by, but finding one with something special to say and a unique way of saying it is not so easy. Karen FitzGerald's debut album is a lovely surprise. Her melodies tend to be fairly simple, but are beautifully fleshed out, indicating her extensive classical roots. Karen cites George Winston and Liz Story as major influences on her music, and while those influences are certainly there, the voice is Karen's alone. The music is intensely personal, but is also accessible and open. Fan of Winston's and Story's music should really enjoy "Heart of the Rain", as should fans of Wayne Gratz and Robin Spielberg. All but two of the songs are solo piano, and the other two have washes of synth to add subtle color. "A Rainy Night Outside Your Door" is probably my favorite piece on the CD, with it's flowing rubato and poignant sadness - I also like the unpredictability of parts of the melody line. "Moods" is also exceptionally strong both musically and emotionally - it is thoughtful and introspective in the first few minutes, and then gets darker and deeper. Karen's elegant pianism really comes through on this piece. "The Wind's Lament" is gorgeous, with a dark, pensive mood. The three pieces I mentioned specifically are 7-10 1/2 minutes long, and have a spacious quality as well as the feeling that they had time to be fully explored and developed. The shorter pieces are also excellent (especially the touching "Lullaby" that closes the CD), but these longer works are exceptional. I highly recommend "Heart of the Rain"!

"Heart of the Rain" is one of the best piano solo album I have ever heard! It's tremendously beautiful. I listen to it every day! Words cannot say more than the heartfelts done by the notes from the solos!

and this is coming from someone who loves rock and alternative music. but this cd does calm down the soul and somehow reminds me of georgia. don't ask why, it just does.

I rarely write reviews, but I want the world to know how special Karen Fitzgerald's album truly is. Another reviewer cited her affinities to George Winston and Liz Story. Nothing could be truer, and if like me, you have been on a long search for more inspired piano music of this type, you will have found a jewel in this masterful work. Fitzgerald is a gentler soul than Story or Winston, and it may take a few listens to become fully immersed in her subtle melodies and deep harmonies. But her compositions have a haunting power that continues to resonate when the spirit is still. There is not a weak piece on this whole album, but if I had to choose my favorites, I would say that "A Rainy Night Outside Your Door," "Summer Rain," and "The Wind's Lament" would top my list. With perhaps the exception of Winston's Autumn, I cannot think of a better album of contemporary piano music. I do not know why Fitzgerald has not released another album, but you can put me on the top of the waiting list if she does!

Karen's songs flow from the heart like rain on a summer day. Listen to REMEMBERING and EMERGENCE in the morning and you'll start the day refreshed. Hear THE WIND'S LAMENT while you work and you'll feel your routines move like the breeze. Relax in the afternoon with MOODS and feel your stressors wash away. Enjoy a restful evening with RAINY NIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR and LULLABY, and you'll know that this is a CD you'll want to hear again and again. Karen plays exactly the way I'd love to play if I were a musician. I feel her songs from the heart...The Heart of the Rain.