Simone Appolloni's Album Reviews
USA pianist George Winston was not only a pivotal musical act in the branding of "New Age" music, but also a key figure in understanding instrumental, non-communicative 2000's music. Died in 2023, aged 74, after dying of the fourth, non-declared cancer of which he suffered, he spent years in an alleged musical sabbatical, before submitting a demo to the owner of Windham Hill Records label: despite its alleged un-commercial nature, 1980's Autumn became a hit, enough to become Platinum disc and starting the instrumental New Age piano phenomenon, of which Winston was not the first (Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert may be a pioneer), but surely was the most noticeable name of the niche.
Despite its apparently inoffensive nature, the material (one of the few albums without any covers, only original stuff) carries a depressive, mournful and pessimistic quality in its lack of lyrics, very abstract titles revolving over visual, naturalistic elements that carry a deeper, spiritual meaning (key term: "Mono no aware") and non-fixed rhyhtms. Most of the cuts show a prevalent melodic, Pop-like direction, despite the technical, dual-hand arrangements reminiscent of certain forms of Jazz/Fusion (Vince Guaraldi and Bill Evans immediately come to mind) and a few nods to neo-Romantic counterpoint and minor-harmonic leads (most noticeably at the beginning of "Woods"). "Colors / Dance" becomes pretty recognizable, despite its long duration and free-form structure, due to the repetition of grievous, F#-minor/A-major chording and repetitive rhythmic patterns and bass shifts. Tons of The Sims 1-like moods here.
Not exactly tonal music (plenty of suspended 2/4 chord voicings, occasional highly dissonant sequences, as on "Longing / Love" or the pentatonic scale runs on "Moon") but far too peaceful and melodic to be considered contemporary-classical, this is music that defies easy categorizations, because it's a synthesis of centuries of piano study and playing, where no macro-genre truly prevails. Even its concept and alleged themes are very contradictory, exactly as the cover artwork, showing a sky apparently serene, but with dire, heavy rainstorm far in the distance. Probably not the best of its kind, but beautiful on its own, despite the somehow poor piano production.
Highlights: "Color / Dance", "Longing / Love", "Moon".
Despite its apparently inoffensive nature, the material (one of the few albums without any covers, only original stuff) carries a depressive, mournful and pessimistic quality in its lack of lyrics, very abstract titles revolving over visual, naturalistic elements that carry a deeper, spiritual meaning (key term: "Mono no aware") and non-fixed rhyhtms. Most of the cuts show a prevalent melodic, Pop-like direction, despite the technical, dual-hand arrangements reminiscent of certain forms of Jazz/Fusion (Vince Guaraldi and Bill Evans immediately come to mind) and a few nods to neo-Romantic counterpoint and minor-harmonic leads (most noticeably at the beginning of "Woods"). "Colors / Dance" becomes pretty recognizable, despite its long duration and free-form structure, due to the repetition of grievous, F#-minor/A-major chording and repetitive rhythmic patterns and bass shifts. Tons of The Sims 1-like moods here.
Not exactly tonal music (plenty of suspended 2/4 chord voicings, occasional highly dissonant sequences, as on "Longing / Love" or the pentatonic scale runs on "Moon") but far too peaceful and melodic to be considered contemporary-classical, this is music that defies easy categorizations, because it's a synthesis of centuries of piano study and playing, where no macro-genre truly prevails. Even its concept and alleged themes are very contradictory, exactly as the cover artwork, showing a sky apparently serene, but with dire, heavy rainstorm far in the distance. Probably not the best of its kind, but beautiful on its own, despite the somehow poor piano production.
Highlights: "Color / Dance", "Longing / Love", "Moon".
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