Fantasie Impromptu
Etude No. 3 in B Flat Major
Ballade No. 1
Etude No. 1 in G Major
Nocturne in E Flat Major
Intermezzo No. 1 in G Minor
Intermezzo No. 2 in D Flat Major
Intermezzo No. 3 in C Minor
Ohio River Pastorale No. 3

As the titles of these various piano pieces suggest, the music of American composer Byron O'Keefe is very much written in the style of 19th century composers like Schubert, Brahms, Chopin and Schumann. Not to say that these piano works lack originality or individuality, because only the Etude No. 1 sounds exactly as if composed by Schubert. Otherwise it's their highly passionate romantic flair that sets them back 200 years, something readily perceptible in the Ballade No. 1 in particular. I also appreciate the fact that O'Keefe resisted the temptation to overflower these garden beds, but also landscaped some passages with thorny bramble. The writing is constantly industrious and rich. In the booklet notes, the composer claims that we should be able to perceive the perfume of Americana within the heavy fragrance of Old Europe, something that I think is only barely noticeable in the aptly titled Ohio River Pastorale No. 3.

A graduate of the Tchaikovsky National Academy in Kiev, pianist and teacher Kateryna Ulezko tackles this music with aplomb and a high level of consideration for its derivation, but at times I feel a lack of nuance or subtlety on her part when dealing with dynamics, including disproportionate accents and an occasionally heavy left hand. Having said that, her level of expressive touches certainly matches the music's intent. So if you would like to hear "new" music with "old school" charm, don't hesitate to support the efforts of Byron O'Keefe.