Classically Yours is a really nice collection of soothing and relaxing piano solos performed by Carol Comune, who also arranged two of the pieces. One of the many things I like about this album is that several of the pieces are lesser-known classical gems, and I've discovered a few that I'll be looking for myself! Carol has released eleven albums of classical and original music. Her music has been streamed more than 38 million times on Spotify and she has close to 5 million listeners.

A Steinway artist, Carol Comune is a faculty member at Westminster Conservatory of Music and has maintained active private studios since 1973. She has served as faculty in piano, accompanist, and chamber with New England Conservatory Prep School; Berklee College of Music and other music schools. She is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA (BM in Piano Performance) and continued with graduate studies in Piano Pedagogy and Composition.

Classically Yours begins with "To a Wild Rose" (composed in 1896), a very popular piano solo from Edward MacDowell's 10 Woodland Sketches. This piece is actually quite easy to play, but the expressive touch of the pianist makes all the difference - and Carol does that so well! Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004) was an American composer and conductor known for his film scores. His theme for To Kill a Mockingbird is reflective, bittersweet and very beautiful. Carol's arrangement as well as her playing bring it to life with grace and deep emotion. Frederico Mompou (1893-1987) is a composer I've heard of but was unfamiliar with his music. Carol has included two of his pieces, "Secreto" and "12 Canciones y Danzas, Op. 47 #6," both of which are haunting and a bit on the dark side. She also included two preludes by Russian composer Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915) - Op. 11 #15 and Op. 17 #6. Both are from early in his career and show the influence of Chopin. Robert Schumann's "Traumerei" from his Kinderszenen Op. 15 #7 is one of the most beloved piano solos from that era. Dreamy and full of longing, it's always a favorite! Claude Debussy (1862-1918) composed many pieces that enriched the piano repertoire, including "The Girl With the Flaxen Hair." Slow and open with a slight air of mystery, it's a piece that I plan to revisit soon. "O mio babbino caro" is from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini. Carol arranged it for piano solo and plays with tenderness and deep affection. She has also made sheet music available for this piece (reviewed on this site).

Classically Yours is available from www.CarolComune.com, Amazon, Apple/iTunes and streaming sites such as Spotify.