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Album Review: Ballerina
Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovic
Cover image of the album Ballerina by Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovic
Ballerina
Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovic
2017 / Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovič
59 minutes
Review by Kathy Parsons
Ballerina is the debut solo piano album by Slovakian pianist/composer/singer/multi-instrumentalist Oliver Nosaczynski Bohovič, and what an elegant, soulful first effort it is! An aspiring film composer with classical roots, Bohovic reaches into the depths of his soul to find the music that most reveals what he feels and who he is. In his own words: “Ballerina is an honest confession of my naked soul. I lived with these compositions for a long time and in each one of them there's me, my thoughts, feelings, love, yearning...I hide nothing. It's a collection of original romantic piano songs which I composed over the course of five years and also includes a collaboration with a popular Slovak singer/songwriter Peter Nagy, on whose request I re-made one of his songs into the style of my other piano pieces. This music has been a treatment for myself. My ambition is not to stun anyone, just to bring music that would make people feel peaceful and loved.”

Ballerina begins with the title track, a piece that evokes images of a single dancer moving gracefully on an empty stage, unleashing deep emotions with the freedom of her movements - a very impressive opening! “Lucenie (Farewell)” poignantly expresses the sadness of saying “goodbye” to a loved one - a favorite! “S Tebou (With You)” is warm and comfortable with passion simmering just below the surface - perfect for a romantic movie soundtrack! I’m not sure why, but the piano does an amazing job of describing different kinds of rain. “Dazd (Rain)” is a lovely example of this. The left hand keeps a steady, calming rhythm while the right hand dances all over the piano keyboard, sometimes depicting a gentle drizzle and sometimes a sparkling downpour - another favorite. “Klavir pre Mamu (Piano for Mother)” is a wonderful expression of love and appreciation - gentle and very sincere. “Valcik v h mol (Waltz in B minor)” really shows Bohovic’s classical roots. The waltz tempo is fairly fast, but the melody is bittersweet and tender - I really like this one, too! “Trinasta (Thirteenth)” is a colorful bit of musical storytelling. Many different scenarios come to mind that could easily fit this descriptive, melancholy melody. “Rieka (River)” describes the peaceful flow of a body of water - always in motion, but never in a rush. Occasional bright flashes in the upper treble of the piano sound like bright sparkles of light on the water. “Marcel z maleho mesta” is Bohovic’s remake of one of Peter Nagy’s popular songs from the 1980’s. I don’t think I’m familiar with the original song, but this new version is a great closing to a great first album.

Ballerina is available from Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby and I recommend it. I’m sure we’ll be hearing much more from this exciting young artist - hopefully soon!
March 19, 2018
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Debut AlbumsKathy's Favorites: 2018Kathy's Picks