The big crawl
In these ten piano pieces, insects come to life and cavort on the keys.
How many times have I looked at and played through Aleksey Igudesman's ten pieces? Sometimes they seem like insects to me. On the one hand somewhat strange and uncomfortable, attractive and repulsive at the same time, and yet also so fascinating that they cast a spell over me again and again. The Russian-German violinist, composer and actor is not lacking in imagination and cheeky ideas.
With a persistent ostinato staccato, the ant does its work diligently and precisely. "Taking off" is written above the piece Butterfly(love)lingcarried by the gentle wind of the pedal in broken chords and floats through the room. One is not entirely at ease with the Bug hugin which you have to endure a "bug hug". It's better to keep your distance and then explore the keyboard all the more joyfully as a grasshopper, alternating hands in six-four time. Whether you're playing a bitchy tick or trying to avoid the cockroaches - the transformation is fun, and I have the feeling that you can sense the actor behind the composer.
The pieces can be played at lower to upper intermediate level and represent a welcome change from the all too familiar classroom pieces.
Aleksey Igudesman, Insectopedia, 10 pieces about insects, UE 38047, € 14.95, Universal Edition, Vienna
