Jeffrey Jacob - Dreamers (2019)

Next up are three works for piano and orchestra, with Jacob at the piano. His clarity of tone is striking and the perfect fit for his own compositions. For a 20th-century composer, Jacob's music is surprisingly tonal. The sound is unique and evocative; had Olivier Messiaen studied with Rachmaninoff, the Adagietto from Jacob's Piano Concerto No. 2 might well be the result. Epitaph (In Memoriam) is fittingly epic for its title and, in style, highly reminiscent of Shostakovich's piano concertos. A highlight of the album, however, appears in the form of the two-movement The Persistence of Memory, in which Jacob shifts his aim from the 20th to the mid-19th century. After a modern introduction, the listener is greeted with a quotation of Schumann's Fantasy Dance, and the beautifully lamenting solo cello contrasted with lyrical piano lines is a direct reminder of the German composer's Piano Trio No. 2.
Tracklist
01. Symphony No. 5 (Dreamers): I. Rain, Lagrimas
02. Symphony No. 5 (Dreamers): II. Fear, Grace
03. Symphony No. 5 (Dreamers): III. Separation, Grief, Resolution, Triumph
04. Sanctuary I
05. Adagietto
06. Epitaph (In Memoriam)
07. The Persistance of Memory: I. Haunting, Pagan, Restless
08. The Persistance of Memory: II. Misterioso, Resolution, Ecstasy
09. Final Sanctuary