Customer Reviews

Wendy Lands Sings the Music of the Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman

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In an age of divas and midriff baring neophyte pop/punk-chanteuses, there is a distinct lack of more mature sounding, sincere and dusky-cool voices. That's probably why Norah Jones just walked away with a slew of Grammy Awards.

Into that idiom steps Wendy Lands and her wonderfuly dusky pop alto voice. On this CD, Wendy performs the music of Polish composer Wladyslaw Szpilman, the subject of Roman Polanski's Oscar Nominated film 'The Pianist'.

Given the terrible events depicted in The Pianist, it may at first be a bit unnerving for the listener to discover that the serious interpreter of Chopin, honed by the Holocaust, went on to compose lighthearted, almost sweet little cabaretesque numbers.

And this CD features Szpilman's best melodies, jazzed up and with newly interpretted lyrics. Stock full of smokey ballads, Land's voice and Szpilman's music call out for a candle-lit table tucked into the corner of an old french cafe.

Like many good composers of tunes for popular consumption, Szpilman knew when to throw in a few maneuvers from the classical trick bag to make his music truly pop. Listening, you'll hear a cross-rhythm used to liven up a simple melody, or an odd turn of harmony tossed in to wake up the listener.

Seduction is a recurring theme in this appealing selection of 12 songs. Szpilman probably wouldn't have imagined accompanying these Irvin Berlin/Cole Porter-type melodies with this electronic-acoustic mix, a completely and unmistakable modern-early 21st-century sound. But, as a pop composer, he would probably have dug the instrumentations and arrangements that draw freely from jazz, swing and soft-rock idioms.

Yes, there are shadows and darkness. Loss, regret and redemption are themes present in the lyrics and melodies, but probably not any more so than in most pop music - and the CD is certainly not burdened by them.

But truly, lyrics such as those in Someday We Will Love Again, Without You, Prisoners of Evening and I'm Set Free have a particularly poignant edge when one ponders how much the composer lost and found during his incredible journey.

I highly recommend this disc. If you want to sample it, find "Fall In Love Again" - which is not only my personal favourite, but also nominally the first single (at least, it's the one I've heard on radio once).

So true and tender is just part of this not to be taken lightly album "Sings the Music of the Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman", featuring Wendy Lands. The first time you listen to this CD you discover Lands doesn't have much of a voice, but the way she delivers a song is the distinctive part of her charm. Backed up by a wonderful array of musicians ~ Heitor Pereira (acoustic guitar electric guitar), Mitchell Holder (acoustic guitar), Ricardo Silveira (electric guitar), John Leftwich (piano/synthesizers/acoustic bass), Kendall Kay (drums), Sid Page (violin), Greg Leisz (lap slide guitar), Tony Humeke (percussion/drums), Renato Neto (piano), Jeff Pevar (electric guitar/lap slide guitar), Greg Leisz (lap slide guitar) and Larry Treadwell (electric rhythm guitar) with lingering arrangements from John Leftwich to die for.

Some stand outs ~ "FALL IN LOVE AGAIN", with "the fire burned us way back when, has refined us into best of friends, I think it's time we light that flame again, I think it's time we fall in love again", how many times have we felt that way only to relive it again with this haunting melody from Szpilman ~ "DANCING WITH ANTONIO", lyrics by Larry John McNally speak of "why does falling in love mean losing my mind, your laughter, your lips, your hand on my hips" leaves the listener in a tizzy, great stuff ~ the best of the dozen is "TURN AWAY", arranger producer John Leftwich hits the mark all the way with lyrics of "so come fill my arms, let me persuade you, open up your heart to me, there's a tenderness you hide, let go your fears, show me the passion, all those secret places hiding traces of our deepest darkest love, don't turn away", this is some pretty deep stuff. And vocalist Wendy Lands performance is light, fun and heartfelt within the realm of each composition, from genres of bluegrass, jazz, blues, country and even torch styling that brings pure entertainment to the listener. This my music-loving-friends is a keeper.

Total Time 50:29 on 12 Tracks ~ Hip-O Records 440-066-534-2 ~ (2002)

happened to be living in Poland at the time of the release of Polanski's film 'The Pianist', and Polish Radio issued a commemorative boxed-set of archive recordings of Szpilman as pianist and composer. Unfortunately, this set does not seem to have been released outside Poland (though some of the piano tracks have been issued separately by Sony). One of the discs is devoted to some 25 of Szpilman's 'Piosenki' (chansons, popular songs) in archive recordings from the 50s, 60, and 70s of (predominantly) the composer's own arrangements - typically for sumptious dance orchestra or big band, and featuring some of Poland's most popular singers (unknown of course in 'The West').


Only when one hears these songs with their original Polish texts (whether one understands them or not), harmonised, arranged and sung in a style that bears the authenticity of their own time, can one appreciate the (no doubt well-intentioned) folly and inadequacy of this Wendy Lands collection. These new English texts are not translations, so the words have been artificially grafted onto a melody that has been crafted to set and convey text with quite another meaning. Of course the quality of Szpilman's material ensures that the new songs based on his melodies are perfectly respectable as atmospheric bluesy-jazzy numbers, but I can't help wishing that some executive had had the courage to release an album of the songs in their original language and colours... They are incomparably more atmospheric, haunting, charming, melancholy and elegant than the 'versions' presented on this new disc. Any lover of Edith Piaf or Jaques Brel, for example, would fall for them immediately - the inpenetrability of the language only adds to their charm, and is far more meaningful than the second-rate doggerel shoe-horned to the melodies here. I hope these Polish recordings will become generally available soon - if not, you'll have to make friends with a Pole, get a cheap flight to Warsaw, or petition Polish Radio! It really is worth it - the old recordings are charming and heartbreaking.

What a discovery ! Having grown up in Poland decades ago I would never expect to listen again to the once-so-popular-there Szpilman's songs. Wendy Lands gives them totally new dimension with her erotically velvet voice.
Wonderful, tranquillizing and refreshing album, with magic of its own climate, with musical arrangements of top quality.

I was suprised to learn that Wladyslaw Szpilman wrote contemporary songs. I was aware that he wrote compositions, but it never entered my mind that he wrote such beautiful songs that are on this CD. After seeing "The Pianist" and reading Spzilman's book and then seeing the DVD with an added documentary on the making of "The Pianist", my curiosity was piqued. Andrej Spzilman, the son of Wladyslaw, long dreamt of introducing his father's songs to the west and he chose Wendy Lands to sing these hauntingly beautiful songs. Upon purchasing this CD, I was hesitant that I might find them too much in the vein of 'Easy Listening'. I am glad to say that was not the case. I played it three times and should Wendy Lands continue to sing the songs of Wladyslaw Spzilman, I would be grateful. This is a very beautiful album and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Wladyslaw Spzilman did not merely survive the most grim conditions of The Holocaust, he thrived through his love of music and this album is proof of what a genius he was. I look forward to a second CD of his songs sung by Ms. Lands. Her heartrending interpretations draw the listener in. This is a truly sublime album!

with this unbelievable, intriguing array of well crafted, orchestrated and interpreted melodies of Sladyslaw Szpilman with Wendy Lands' vocals.

This entire album has has become our personal "song".

Be ready for a journey into your own dreams...

What a beautiful voice, what sensitive, expressive delivery. I bought this album on a whim and I am blown away by the whole ensenble of fine musicians - but especially by Wendy Lands. The recording quality is clean and crisp, the songs evocative, intelligent, and melodic.
The last album that similarly impressed me was Norah Jones.
Then to realize that these melodies were written by Wladislaw Szpilman (the subject of Roman Polaski's "The Pianist") just adds to the wonderment of this beautiful album.
Please, more Wendy Lands! Bravo!!!

I bought this CD on a friend's recommendation. I was blown away. Wendy Lands voice is so lovely. But Szpilman's work being released here in America is wonderful. His melodies are so beautiful. John Leftwich's arrangments and production is brilliant! A must buy.

After enjoying the autobiography and the movie, my family's expectations for this recording of Szpilman's songs were extremely high. From all angles, these hopes were crushed. The songs were probably - after their composition - given their first performance in a nightclub and that later exposure over Polish radio would hve retained the European night club feeling. The arrangements were far off the mark , both in their choice of instrumentation and in their composition. As for Miss Land, her voice is better described as "dreary" and "monotonous" rather than 'dark" and "smoky" as some have described it. To put it blunt.ly, she has no "voice" only breathy sighs.

I suggest that Andrzej Szpilman, Wladyslav' son, have another go at this project. During my Foreign Service career I have spent many months in Warsaw 1960-1962 and many hours at the Congresova and other night clubs. It shouldn't be too hard to persuade some Polish musicians to cooperate in a project to re-create Wladyslav's songs imbued with their original charm and spirit.

Finally, I wonder if the English lyrics followed the original Polish or were completely different.