CCMusic.com

Musical idioms have changed and adapted over centuries. On An Evolving Cycle, Gheorghe Costinescu's sophomore Ravello Records release featuring four works for solo piano, the composer explores the transition of these idioms from Baroque to 21st century contemporary, charting the evolution of form and technique with a deft control of style. Stephen Gosling, a ubiquitous New York City pianist hailed as 'brilliant' and 'luminous and poised' (New York Times), performs the four works: Theme and Variations, an energetic, virtuosic and challenging piece with a chorale-like theme; Sonata for the Piano, a combination of classical sonata and variation forms with elements of ragtime and jazz; Evolving Cycle of Two-Part Modal Inventions for Piano, an intervallic, multi-part piece unitizing a number of ranges; and Essay in Sound, a reflection of Costinescu's own experience and thoughts on the piano.