David Holzman - Shapey & Sessions: Piano Works (2007)

David Holzman surely stands among the greatest living exponents of 20th-century American music. The 58 year old New York pianist's last CD (Music of Wolpe, BRIDGE 9116) was Grammy nominated, won the 2003 Indie Award for "Best Classical CD of the Year", and won a Deems Taylor award. This new disc continues along that same intensely virtuosic path, with heroic readings of seminal works of Roger Sessions (1896- 1985) and Ralph Shapey (1921-2002). These performances simply must be heard to be believed! What distinguishes Holzman's superb pianism from so many others is his uncommonly deep musical vision which lends poetry and unity to even the most complex and sprawling structures. Here are pianism and musicianship of the very highest order.