William Ogmundson, Simple Gifts Review

Classical

William Ogmundson, Simple Gifts Review

 

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William Ogmundson is a classically-trained pianist, an EMMY-nominated composer, and an award-winning lyricist. Ogmundson began performing at the age of 5, going on to win numerous piano competitions throughout his middle and high school years. During this time period, he was also the featured pianist for the NH Music Festival Orchestra on four separate occasions. William has performed at numerous venues throughout Europe, most notably the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, as the organist for a Sunday morning mass. He has performed all over North America and Europe (including the Vatican) and released seven solo CDs to date. Comfortable composing music in many genres, Ogmundson recently collaborated with Tomie daPaola on a lullaby for his book The Magic of Strega Nona. He also composed all the music for his recent solo album, Phoenix. “Pollyanna” (2008) was first performed at Plymouth State University, and is currently gaining a world-wide following, since being published by Dramatic Publishing in 2011. He was also nominated for a Regional EMMY for the music he wrote for the NHPTV show Bullies and Bystanders be Aware. Ogmundson won Best Lyrics in the International Theater Festival in NYC in 2017 for his musical “Georgia O’Keeffe Paints Paradise” and was nominated for Best Music in the New York Theatre Festival for his show “Kindness and Cruelty.” Ogmundson’s latest album is a collection of thirteen solo piano compositions titled, Simple Gifts.

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Positives:

Ogmundson’s music has a unique blend of European classical music and the forms and developments of that rich cannon mixed with touches of New Age sounds. The result is a fine amalgamation of the two.

Bottom Line:

The thirteen compositions contained on Simple Gifts have a rich tapestry of harmonic and melodic presentations, all played with clarity and finesse. Ogmundson’s compositions have a Romantic era about them with a soothing spirit. The title track is a calming exploration of a melody that is peaceful and introspective but is developed with respect to the great classical tradition in form and harmony. “Forever Drifting” is a more playful composition with elements of stride, theatre, and classical swirling around to provide an interesting listen. “Icelandic Lullaby” is a New Age inspired composition that still has elements of the classical themes, which Ogmundson plays beautifully. The last song, “Dance of the Fairies,” shows that Ogmundson’s influence from the classics is not just musical as the song’s melody is based on lyrics from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Overall, the album is a wonderful mix of classic inspired sounds for a new age of music. That’s the short of it!

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