reimagination, obsession

The time has come: our debut album "Reimagine" is finally here! We are proud to unveil Trailer #1:



Being immersed in the CD release process has prompted me to think about what drives Greg and me as performers and creators. The other day I was reading The New York Times and I came across this article on Keira Knightley. Something she was quoted as saying struck a chord with me:

“ 'Sorry,' she said. 'But if you’re going to be part of this business, I think you have to be a little bit like this. You have to be a bit obsessed.'”

In my opinion, her comment totally applies to a life in music (or in any of the arts) as well: if you're going to be a musician, you have to be a bit obsessed. Though I generally believe in balance and moderation, there is no denying that the creative process has this unique, ineluctable power to overcome, enthrall and consume me. And this always happens when Greg and I work together.

For instance, last night we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing up the trailer video. As I took care of various CD release matters I couldn't stop glancing over at Greg's computer and laughing gleefully at the creation emerging before our eyes. While marveling at Greg's brilliant movie-making skills, I continuously offered my own two cents (which probably annoyed him!). And when we looked at the clock and noticed that it was the hour when most decent citizens of the world start their day, we were too wired to care; time really does fly when you're having fun!

So yes, we're obsessed with music and with bringing our artistic ideas to life, but really, we're just like two kids who are having such a great time playing that time and worries and limitations just fade into oblivion. EJR

P.S. Greg really does want to write to all of you, but since he's been busy with the videos and other pieces of business, I have been the resident blogger of late. We both hope you enjoy our new album—buy it now at CD Baby!

mmmm, swans (only my sisters will get this...)

Hi, everyone! In anticipation of our Jan. 15 album release, we have posted a new video for you to watch. Behold "The Swan":



As you can see, this differs from most of our other YouTube creations in that it's a pretty straightforward, performance-based video (and we're finally on two dovetailed pianos!). We taped it in August around midnight after one of our "Reimagine" recording sessions. The stage manager at SUNY Purchase, Val Franco, offered to take the camera for a few moving shots, and we took care of the other camera angles, setting up the camcorder at various spots in the recital hall. Another unique quality about this video is that it's dreamier in mood (to match the music's shimmering lyricism). Plus, this video is here to whet your appetite as this piece is included on our CD, so enjoy!

(Just so you know, we've got some more special treats for you coming up, so brace yourselves!) -Liz

new year, new album

Happy New Year! We wish all of you a wonderful year ahead. 2008 has begun with lots of momentum; things are definitely in full swing. Greg and I each have a great deal on our plates, individually and collectively, but as always we welcome these challenges and opportunities with open arms.

Our main priority at this time is the launch of our debut album "Reimagine" -- the official release date is set for January 15, at which point the album will be available for purchase and/or download on CD Baby, Amazon, and iTunes. For an extensive preview of "Reimagine," check out our website: you'll find a Top 10 list, extended program notes, audio clips, and more. For the full 3-D experience, be sure to purchase a hard copy of the CD; in addition to having your hands on the deluxe, beautifully-designed packaging (featuring photos from our spontaneous adventure in the mountains last summer!), you'll also get a bonus DVD containing our infamous YouTube videos.

On a more personal note, we want to dedicate this album to you, our fans. Your energetic support uplifts us each and every day, and we resolve to keep surprising you in the new year!

Cheers to happiness, health and peace in 2008! -Liz

Star Wars revisited

Wow, nearly a month has gone by since my last blog entry—time flies! While things have been relatively quiet on the duo front, Greg and I want you to know that exciting things are on the horizon, most notably our debut album (which is due to be released in January). In the meantime, check out the latest videos we've posted on YouTube (or watch them below). In these videos you will see Greg and I performing two movements of our Star Wars Fantasy: Four Impressions for Two Pianos. Both performances were taped live in concert.

This performance of "Impression 1" was an encore at Greg's master's degree recital at The Juilliard School in April 2006. Impression 1 is an Art Tatum-esque rag based on the iconic Cantina theme from the original Star Wars film, otherwise known as Episode IV. It is fiendishly difficult (note the constant jumps in the bass and the skittering passagework all over the keyboard) but its spirit is carefree and playful. Fragments of other musical motives are embedded in the texture: if you're astute enough you may notice the Force Theme, Darth Vader's theme, Yoda's theme, and various excerpts of the battle music.



This performance of "Impression 2" was recorded at my master's recital at Juilliard, just a few days after Greg's recital. This movement, in contrast to the first movement, is fluid and free. It is centered on the ubiquitous Force theme.



While composing this work, Greg and I intentionally avoided a direct "translation" of John Williams's score. Instead, we focused on the music's character, atmosphere, and irresistible appeal. I recall watching all six films in succession during spring break that year, stuffing ourselves with pizza and Chinese food. Greg and I marveled over virtuosic light saber duels, argued over the coolness of Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo (Greg prefers Luke whereas I'm a Solo woman, probably because I've always loved the romantic tension between him and Leia, one of my favorite cinematic heroines!), and—of course—we noted which themes excited and moved us. This process of watching the entire series and listening to all the soundtracks was not only a tremendous source of enjoyment and satisfaction (believe me, the arc is really impressive when you take in all the episodes consecutively in two sittings!); it ultimately provided us with a global view of the saga. As we transfered our ideas to paper, we sought to capture the films' epic scope, mythic resonance, and undeniable sense of fun. We hope these pieces—and performances—relay fresh and piquant impressions of the Star Wars universe. Enjoy!

P.S. In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I just want to tell you how grateful Greg and I are to have such devoted and enthusiastic fans. You're the best! -Liz

recording madness

Hello, readers—I'm back from my blogging break (which elapsed not out of neglect, just sheer busyness!). I hope you're all having a snazzy autumn thus far. I love the vibrant colors and melancholic mood of the fall season, but not the shortening of daylight!

Despite our separate commitments this fall (Greg with his doctoral courses/dissertation work/composing, me with my solo recitals/Ensemble ACJW concerts/teaching), Greg and I have been consistently and painstakingly working on our forthcoming album. Greg and I are going indie-style with this whole recording thing. It's great to have nearly complete autonomy over all elements of the production (the repertoire, editing, design, etc.), but it's also a time-consuming, creatively-challenging process. In any case, it's really fitting that Greg and I are going the independent route with our "debut" CD because we're free-spirited individualists at heart, and we've always been fully involved in all aspects of our professional output, whether it be the website, YouTube videos, programming, or compositions. This recording has given us the opportunity to take artistic chances, and we've had a lot of fun (well, stress-laced fun!) along the way: spending hours on end with our fabulous recording engineer Joe Patrych in his Bronx studio; writing about what this music means to us (while trying to stay within a word limit—a nightmare for me!); filtering through photo after photo of us atop a mountain; sharing design concepts; either being impressed, dismayed, or surprised at what we sound like on record!

The recording process is a highly collaborative one, and it is our hope that this album embodies the nexus of our ideas and ideals, our imaginings and efforts, our intensity and joy. EJR

Photos from "Tuxedos by Steinway & Vodka by Chopin"

Sorry these pictures took so long to upload! It didn't help that I left my camera at Liz's apartment for the past few weeks.

Recently, we were asked by Steinway to perform release event for members of the press and media, celebrating the company's new line of concert clothes for men. (Read about our experience in an earlier post.) Unfortunately, the pictures taken with my camera didn't turn out so well (and we haven't yet seen the pictures taken by the Steinway photographer), so we'll just have to make due with what we have.

Exhibit A:
Here I am informing the audience of something very important. (Note: Liz's dress ... oh yes, and also notice the mannequin standing at our right, wearing a very fine Steinway tuxedo.)


Exhibit B:
Now Liz is informing the audience of something terribly important.


Exhibit C:
The Anderson & Roe Piano Duo with the director of the event, the wonderful and enthusiastic Elliot Rittenband.


Exhibit D:
An autograph to Greg & Liz by the emcee of the event, Howard Cross's (#87 of the New York Giants). We apologize to Mr. Cross for forgetting his name in our earlier post!

(#3 of 3) Imagine: You're outside and the moon is out

After reading Liz's thorough blog recollecting all the humorous incidents from our last video shoot (see the video posted below), I'm not sure what I could add, but I'll give it a shot.

I'm proud of Liz. She purchased a "Hello Kitty" lunch box, pretty pink bows, and the tackiest dress you-ever-did-see with admirable courage, but she deserves an apology from me. Liz, I'm sorry I didn't help. I'm sorry I stood five feet from the cash register, pointed my finger and laughed hysterically.

Of course, Liz found herself in even more compromising situations. She spent a good 20 minutes dashing about the New Haven train station while flailing her arms and shouting, "Seriously, this is not a chain letter! It really works!" "Seriously" people, does it really work? Have any of you actually seen your crush's name appear on the screen after pasting the message into three comments?

One of my favorite scenes was the one in which Liz sat at a piano and sweetly instructed Rubinstein to put more feeling in his fingers. There was something about being there in the same room that nearly made me wet my pants. Finding myself completely unable to withhold my laughter, I silently began to pant and wheeze my way into the back room. (I didn't want to disturb her concentration or ruin the shoot!) Unfortunately, en route, Liz started to demonstrate what it meant to "play with one's fingers," playing the Moonlight sonata as if she had never seen a piano before. It was the final straw; I completely exploded. This is only one of several such examples.

A rather embarrassing situation of my own: portraying a split personality (an extremely flamboyant homosexual and a curse-laden scumbucket) in front of streams of passersby. Thankfully, we were in New York City, and very few people seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary.

Alas! The things we do for our art.

I’m going to go tend to my battle wounds - that bench in Riverside park really left a scar!

(#2 of 3) Imagine: You're outside and the moon is out.

Hello, everyone! It's Liz here to report on some of the more laughable moments we encountered while producing this video. (WATCH the video in the post below).

This video was by far the wackiest to create. We conjured up a variety of costumes, hairstyles, accents, accessories, and locations just to add some "color" to the comments. (In hindsight, most of the comments were incredible enough to stand on their own!) Knowing that this video might be regarded as controversial, we had no pretensions of portraying anyone specific; the characterizations were meant to be broad and even caricature-like in order to emphasize the over-the-top nature of the commentary.

This isn't to say that we didn't suffer for our art, however: for example, Greg actually injured himself badly during a scene (his unscripted fall is actually included in the video, if you watch closely enough!), and I had to endure stares from the constantly-streaming crowds and busy traffic at Columbus Circle as I vapidly vamped for the camera. Greg and I inserted lots of amusing and import-laden details which you may have already noticed: a wind-up Beethoven toy that plays the "Moonlight" Sonata, my own tattered Beethoven scores, a "Hello Kitty" lunchbox, a T-shirt featuring the periodic table of elements, a copy of the Village Voice tucked under my arm, our "simultaneous" appearance onscreen and on the computer screen (incidentally, the background music is a composite of our own renditions), a purposeful allusion to Peter Jackson's brilliant Lord of the Rings, and much more...

Although the comments themselves were directly quoted—with grammatical errors intact—we often ad-libbed to get ourselves into character. My personal faves to play were the Minnesotan couple (check out a selection of improv bloopers at the end of the video) and the business woman (I admit, it was liberating to escape my mild-mannered disposition and act short-tempered for once!). And of course, we had the best time making fun of the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo in a particular scene.

Was all this nonsense worth it? Well, if viewers like you get a kick out of it, then we're satisfied!

(#1 of 3) Imagine: You're outside and the moon is out.

This summer, we spent three weeks preparing to record our upcoming CD. This was all quite serious and intense, so we decided to spice things up and film a new music video. There was never a dull moment--in general, when the two of us start throwing ideas around, mischief inevitably ensues. We threw caution--and our dignity--to the wind, and we had great fun spoofing the YouTube culture that we've grown to love. (Watch the video below!)

The music: The "Moonlight" Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven

The location: Yale University, Greg's apartment, Liz's apartment, the New Haven train station, and NYC (112th and Broadway, Riverside Park, Columbus Circle, 110th and Broadway subway stop)

Greg in grey, Liz in black:

There is a new brand of music critic thriving in today's technological world, out in full force on the millions of comment boards littering the Internet. These informative sages are changing the way we listen to music with their critical observations of some of the world's best pianists. In this video, Liz and I dramatized actual comments posted on the YouTube website by just a few of these critics, offering their valuable advice to legendary pianists such as Artur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz, Alfred Brendel, and Wilhelm Kempff. (Yes, a YouTube user did tell Rubinstein that he should play slower ... I mean, I'm sure Rubinstein cares ... we can just see him sitting at his computer taking notes ...)

Now don't take us wrong. We think user interaction is fantastic (see our website if you don't believe us). We just happen to find many of the comments on the YouTube website really, really funny, and at times, completely inappropriate.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt if more people would to listen to others (and interact with others) with an open mind. All performers bring something unique to the table. Is it not possible to lack judgment, postpone criticism, and simply enjoy the wonderful differences in interpretation? Listen for what you love, not what you hate.

That said, here's the video:



P.S. The video originally began with a mockery of my solo videos (my Ligeti and Bach videos) in which I rather dramatically instructed the viewer to "Imagine: You're outside and the moon is out." It was really funny (and pretty embarrassing), but only to people who had seen my other videos. Along with a number of other scenes, it ultimately got the chop.