Lubomyr Melnyk
Composer and pianist, born in Munich 22 December 1948 of Ukrainian parents, now based in Canada. He pioneered a new technique of piano playing, based on extremely rapid notes and note-series, and, as the fastest pianist in the world, sustaining speeds of over 19.5 notes per second in each hand, he also holds the record for most number of notes played in one hour with 93,650 individual notes.
Composer and pianist, born in Munich 22 December 1948 of Ukrainian parents, now based in Canada. He pioneered a new technique of piano playing, based on extremely rapid notes and note-series, and, as the fastest pianist in the world, sustaining speeds of over 19.5 notes per second in each hand, he also holds the record for most number of notes played in one hour with 93,650 individual notes.
Three Solo Pieces
** Edition of 300 ** 'Marginal Invitation', 'Corrosions on the Surface of Life', 'Cloud Passade No. 3'. Comprised of three balanced examples of his Continuous Music technique on solo piano, Three Solo Pieces serves as perhaps the best introduction the Ukrainian-Canadian composer Lubomyr Melnyk yet available. 'Marginal Invitation' is a subdued work with a deeply rooted melodic sensibility that is rich in overtones, while 'Corrosions on the Surface of Life' exhibits a dissonant fury of patterned n…
Fallen Trees
Cascades of notes, canyons and rivers of sound: there’s something about his music that channels the natural world at its most awe-inspiring. In ‘Fallen Trees’ the connection with the environment continues, taking its cue from a long rail journey Lubomyr Melnyk made through Europe. Glancing out of the window as the train passed through a dark forest, he was struck by the sight of trees that had recently been felled. “They were glorious,”he says. “Even though they’d been killed, they weren’t dead.…
Evertina
"We first introduced Lubomyr Melnyk and his unique continuous music technique to a wider audience with 'Corollaries', an album produced by Peter Broderick in 2013. Now he returns with a 24-minute mini album entitled 'Evertina'. Featuring three newly composed solo piano pieces, the long-form EP showcases another side to Lubomyr Melnyk - his more gentle and melodic work. In 2012 Lubomyr's ears began to notice the remarkable tonal depth of upright pianos. To Lubomyr the upright piano sound i…
Rivers And Streams
Lubomyr Melnyk is a Ukrainian composer and pianist who has pioneered 'Continuous Piano Music'. Classically trained and greatly affected by the minimalist movement in the early 1970s, he has developed his own unique language for the piano, named after the principle of maintaining a continuous, unbroken stream of sound. Lubomyr Melnyk is a true innovator, exploring new directions for contemporary music. Not only is he regarded as one of the world's fastest concert pianists, his compositions…
Windmills
Lubomyr Melnyk's latest major work in the last 15 years. It is a stunning tour de force for his signature 2-piano work, as it takes us through a dramatic and emotional sequence in the life of an old and battered windmill - from the turning of its gears to its beautiful closing Finale It was begun in 2009 and took 3 years to complete, with the addition of The Final Song Of Farewell from Windmill's ghost The music contains a story based on a very early Walt Disney animation, 'The Old Windmill'. In…
The Watchers
The Watchers is a historic collaboration between Lubomyr Melnyk and James Blackshaw. These new pieces are being released as a CD/LP with material exclusive to each format. LP is pressed in an edition of 500.
"I first met Lubomyr Melnyk at a festival called Hea Uus Heli in October 2008. We were both scheduled to play that day and I was very excited to see him perform. Before the show I bought several LPs from him and mentioned as much. Lubomyr (more than modest and courteous, as he always is) as…
KMH: Piano Music in the Continuous Mode
Lubomyr Melnyk's debut album from 1978, KMH, is an unheralded touchstone of minimalism. Performing solo on piano with a speed that suggests multiple pianos playing together in harmony, Melnyk nearly brings out the full sound of the instrument all at once. His music is lush and maximal yet it possesses the restrained, slowly evolving nature found in music by artists like Steve Reich and Terry Riley. Melnyk developed his unique approach to minimalism while working with dancer/choreographer …