Reflections & Recollections, Vol. 3

Musical images for solo piano
Performed by Van-Anh Nguyen

MUSICAL IMAGES FOR PIANO: REFLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS VOL. 3 is the latest continuation of McEncroe’s REFLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS series with Navona Records. Many of the pieces featured on this album are reductions of McEncroe’s orchestral works, granting the listener fascinating insight into the mind of the composer.
 
McEncroe presents the raw ingredients used to concoct some of his greatest orchestral pieces—this time, in their most raw, unmitigated forms. Movements In The Night and Echoes From A Haunted Past, for example, were both previously released on McEncroe’s 2018 orchestral release, MY SYMPHONIC POEMS.
 
Somehow, these pieces retain their towering grandeur despite now being performed on solo piano. As is so often the case with recordings of this caliber, the dynamic arrangements and superlative performances on all of the pieces on this album create cavernous spaces which free the listener’s mind to hear the music beyond the piano itself. This album also features a movement from Natalie’s Suite, a three-movement work for piano and orchestra originally performed by the Janáček Philharmonic for McEncroe’s DARK CLOUDS IN LIFE. The music—arranged this time for solo piano—portrays the relationship between McEncroe and his daughter, Natalie. “Moving to the Light” is at once tumultuous and hopeful, a striking and beautiful representation of the complexities of the human experience.
 
Performed by pianist Van-Anh Nguyen, REFLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS VOL. 3 captures in high fidelity the stark power of McEncroe’s compositions in their most naked, unadulterated forms. The music we hear not only provides a glimpse into the creative process that has led to so many powerful orchestral works; each piece stands wholly on its own, making for a powerful and memorable listening experience.
 
Release Date: September 25, 2020
Catalog #: NV6307
Format: Physical & Digital