Rebecca Oswald - Whereas (2011)

The thirteen Whereas songs are my creative response to a gift of unpublished, beautiful, personal poems. The poetic themes include the joy of unity, the sorrow of separation, the desire to know and be known, the bliss of loving and being loved. Many of the stanzas begin “Whereas, . . .” The songs’ titles are drawn from these poems. The poems were written for me; I wrote this music for you. Thank you for listening! May this music resonate in you and bless your heart, mind, spirit, and life.

I have long admired the exquisite balance of emotive depth and theoretical elegance of the great classical solo piano literature. In the Whereas songs I sought to express these same ideals in my own compositional voice, augmented by the use of musical materials I had not explored before.

Whereas was recorded on a magnificent Steinway D at Oktaven Studios in Yonkers, NY in May 2011, and mastered at Syntharts Studio in Eugene, Oregon. While the individual tracks stand alone, Whereas is a solo piano concept album with an overall pace and flow. Each song was carefully designed and placed in order to create an integrated, satisfying experience. I invite you to set aside an hour, prepare your favorite beverage, turn off the phone, light a candle, get comfy, and enjoy the music!

--- Rebecca Oswald.