Mary martin Stockdale
Timeless
Scorpiano Recoprds
www.marymartinstockdale.com
There’s a sense of adventure in Timeless – maybe a “timeless” sense of adventure? It’s not that this is “different” or “innovative,” but there’s a good deal of personality in her piano music that gives you a sense of going places, and of evoking thoughts and events of a place far away and a spirit nearby.
Much of the beauty in the music is through her use of minor keys, minor modes, and some well thought out harmonies. Traits I noticed immediately are that she’s not afraid of the piano’s very upper register, of playing with rhythm outside the basic meter, or of throwing in an off color chord or mood change that will catch you just a trifle off guard. She works with dynamics, pauses, melody – i.e. all the things that make for good composition. I shouldn’t be amazed, but some folks forget about this.
Stockdale briefly shares the inspiration for each of her pieces on the CD case. “Time, Life, and the essence of nature” are her driving forces, she says; she hopes to offer her audience “clarity, purity, and time for reflection.” So you can read the descriptions and ride along with her, or let it take you on an adventure all your own.
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