october

Matthew Labarge (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 28, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: cynelic gast music
• ASIN: B002L9P1L6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #463,660 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From MainlyPiano, September 8, 2009

By 

Kathy Parsons (Florence, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: october (Audio CD)

"October" is pianist/composer Matthew Labarge's third CD to date, and I think it's his best so far. An engineer who occasionally takes time off from his "day job" to study, compose and record, Labarge very successfully combines classical, jazz, and pop elements into his compositions, creating a strong and original voice in the solo piano genre. Labarge engineered and produced the album, perfecting the sound quality to his exacting standards. Imaginary Road's Corin Nelsen did the mastering, taking it one step closer to piano heaven. The sound quality of the piano is stellar.

The concept for the album is the progression of an October day from first light through sunset or journeying through the month of October. While most of the music is soothing and untroubled, there is drama in Labarge's music that varies the mood and tells a complete story. I love how some of the music seems structured and composed while other pieces feel freer and more improvised.

"October" begins with "First Light," a whisper of a piece that conveys the gentle serenity and pastel colors of dawn. Its rubato flow melts right into "Sunrise," which has a bit more sparkle and remains freeform. The second movement of "Sunrise" has more passion and energy as the morning picks up its pace. I love the sound of the bass on this piano, and Labarge uses it to full effect. "Wedding Waltz" is a gorgeous love song that is more classical than the first two tracks; we begin to see the broad scope of Labarge's composing talent! "Leaves Dancing" is joy set to music - energetic and exuberant. "Prelude (Ever After)" takes the tempo back down several notches and creates a feeling of contented reflection. "Song (Kids Playing)" would fit right in with some of Vince Guaraldi's "Peanuts" music - upbeat, whimsical, and very free. "Prelude (Clouds Roll In)" begins a series of pieces depicting a change in the weather. It segues into "Cold Wind," one of my favorites. Dark with a Russian flavor, you can almost feel the chill in the air. It seamlessly moves into "Prelude (Flurries)," a short piece that builds momentum, getting bigger and darker and then gently fading into "Over Such Beauty," another favorite. One of the longer of the thirteen tracks, it begins in a thoughtful mood, and takes on a carefree attitude (I love this theme!), repeating both themes, then leading into "Never So Many Colors." I really like this one, too. The opening theme is calm and hushed while the second theme is more rhythmic and powerful yet still peaceful; the first theme returns for the closing, ending with a sigh. "The Sun Sets Earlier Now" conveys the warm tranquility of a day well spent - time to relax and unwind. October closes with "Love Song," a tender expression of romance and deep affection.

"October" is an intensely personal creation and yet its themes are universal and readily accessible. Colorful and very expressive, this one's a keeper! Recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from NewAgeMusicWorld.Com / NewAgeMusic.nu, November 15, 2010

By 

John P. Olsen / Review Publicist (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: october (Audio CD)

Most people begin their day with the hopes of making the most of each new opportunity improving their lives in some aspect. One solo pianist has made it a priority to better his music abilities through hard work, education, and practice. This dedication to betterment has empowered him to acquire musical abilities heard at a more professional level.

Matthew Labarge from Blacksburg Virginia is the composing solo pianist who first started his job career as an engineer, then began to study piano composition full time with composer John Hilliard, shortly releasing his first two albums, First Fall Night & In Small Hours. Even though both projects are something to be proud of, he felt composing was his stronger point and actively began to rebuild and improve his technique of piano playing from the ground up, greatly restructuring his performance foundation before releasing his current album October.

Believing this latest solo piano project is his best to date, I do agree with him after listening to all 3 albums, and I do notice improvement in his performance abilities, but certainly wouldn't completely disregard his prior albums at all. I did like the songs Prelude & Dance from the First Fall Night album.

October is Matthew's latest release and the first he had total control over, having wrote, played, engineered, and produced the entire project. This latest highlights his re-dedication to self improvement on the piano, and it shows in both the composition and performance aspects in my opinion.

This album is polished and sincere, greatly dignified by the abundant classical touches that portray Contemporary Piano in a refined manner by his classic articulation, elevating both the expression and imagination to the overall project, without over emphasizing the classical music enhancements. The song Wedding Waltz has special meaning to Matthew since it was written during the time period when he proposed marriage to his girlfriend, and is already a bit revealing to the rest of us now that we know that.

This first piece begins in a mid tempo moment of quiet anticipation that gently responds with an invitingly deep tonal perspective, parlayed in a classical straight forward sense, yet in a provocative way too by the inclusion of major to minor key changes. The rich piano melody is timed equally like a sentence where cords join in unison, adding the context of emotion as if waiting for her answer, which now leaves the rest of us wondering what was the outcome of his marriage proposal. Her reply was YES !

The song Leaves Dancing marks the officiating period when our happy couple exchanged wedding vows, placed rings on one another's fingers, and then became husband and wife. This celebration piece appropriately leaps with excitement starting with an upper register play on notes that are well suited, befitting the theme of colorful leaves falling on an October day while also observing this couple's commitment pledge to one another.

Then an interchange in octaves are given during the melody, marking this song and occasion by the leaps and bounds of notes from upper register octaves that step to lower register notes, then revisit again, qualifying both this moving song and this wedding occasion as a beautiful celebration of their holy union together.

5.0 out of 5 stars Writings by Serge Kozlovsky, June 21, 2010

By 

Serge Kozlovsky (Minsk, Belarus) - See all my reviews

This review is from: october (Audio CD)

When you are wrapped up in Autumn mists

Your loneliness knocks at the door again.

The new Matthew Labarge album "October" is a music-meditation. The artist gently touches your soul by his soothing piano. You feel yourself in the midst of rainy Autumn day where it is difficult to do anything and you just want to be alone with your solitude. And this loneliness turns out to be rich and pleasant.

The album "October" is an escape from everyday worries to a sanctuary filled with love and consolation. It is an invitation to stay alone with your dreams for a while and to feel your own essence. Your true self will forget the hectic days and you can remember it and sense its endlessness. It is like a beautiful flower that opens its petals little by little before your eyes.

The music of Mathew Labarge is elegant and pure. The artist perfectly arranges accents and makes his compositions truly expressive. Listen to the album "October" if you want to harmonize your mind and to feel the beauty within yourself.

Serge Kozlovsky

[...]