Where Giants Roam the Earth
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley January 21, 2019
Artist – Milana Zilnik
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www.milana.ws
There is a most beautiful backstory to the creation of this latest album Where Giants Roam the Earth from Milana Zilnik, in that a surprise journey, organised by her husband, to meet David Klavins the creator of the World’s largest Piano, at least in 2015, loving known as ‘The Giant’, provided the inspiration behind her latest solo piano album
A lovely lilting piece Invitation to the Dream captures the imagination, introducing a wonderful journey into a world of long ago, when Giants did indeed rule the earth before segueing effortlessly into a completely different emotion, a deeper, sharper more intense piece Where Giants Roam the Earth, perhaps in a salute to her meeting the ‘The Giant’, a massive instrument with a profoundly beautiful, rich sound and a far larger spectrum of overtones than the traditional piano.
The Piano As Big As A Tree is a definite tribute to this massive instrument. In her own words she describes the experience and the inspiration as, ‘There is a distant land far far away, where giants roam the Earth and music flows as a river. I was lucky to visit that land where pianos grow big as trees, where composer’s fantasy meets the magnificent musical reality and the sounds wrap in their enchanting veil.’, which has created a truly enchanting and delightful piece.
Burning throws a different and more introspective piece into this so far intriguing mix, with a contemplative blending of gentle and powerful influences, underpinned with a sombre, deeper base thread. A waltz is always a lovely romantic piece of music and in Haunted Waltz, Zilnik has very skilfully managed to combine a delicate jazz undertone to the waltz metre to create a lovely, modern and very intimate song. Gorgeous.
Spring Tale showcases yet another area of this talented pianist’s skill as it dances along, fresh, interesting and yet in some senses almost reluctantly letting go of the winter from which it is emerging.
The final track on this fourteen-track album is Coming Home, a song filled with vibrancy, a feeling of joy with a far lighter tone to represent the happiness and anticipation always there at the return of any long journey away from the beloved and familiar things of everyday life.
An album filled with wonder, awe and passion this is one that will become a much-enjoyed work, as it has a very broad appeal and delightful range of influences designed to intrigue!