Frederic Rzewski & Lisa Moore - no place to go but around

2022 CD release.

The New York Times writes: "The lushness of some of its chords, though, is what strikes me most forcefully on repeat listens. And that’s thanks in part to Moore’s overall approach to Rzewski, which often allows for a greater range of emotion than other interpreters permit, including the composer....Moore’s playing is meticulous when it comes to the compact three-act structure of the music; she hits the gas with a controlled force." (by Seth Colter Walls)

In tribute to her longtime mentor and friend Frederic Rzewski, the intrepid, iconoclastic and politically active pianist-composer who passed away in 2021, pianist Lisa Moore presents five poignant performances of his most lyrical work. Taking its title from the vibrant, lush and melody-rich No Place to Go But Around (composed in 1974), the recording is of a piece with Moore's wide-ranging 2016 Cantaloupe release The Stone People, and finds her once again embracing an adventurist streak as she digs deep into the nuances of Rzewski’s timeless music.

“He was blunt, matter-of-fact, frustrating, and brilliant,” Moore recalls in her revealing liner notes for the album. “Yet deep down, he was a real mensch who cared deeply for humanity. His works had strong underlying, or overlying, messages of social justice. He was a bohemian family man, giving most of his meager income to his children and grandchildren. Personally, when I once thought of quitting piano, he encouraged me to keep going — he said, ‘Why stop playing? Don’t waste your investment. Just do other things, too.’ I worked with him closely on De Profundis and To His Coy Mistress. We always got along.”

The Australian (Aug 20 2022)
5 stars. "Moore reveals the gamut of her artistry, from the Bjork-like delivery of Andrew Marvell poetry to the thunderous battering of her hapless Steinway. Here, Moore's music is never less than dazzling and breathtaking, offering a take-no-prisoners manifesto that is urgent, vital life-affirming." (by Vincent Plush)