Frederic Rzewski专辑介绍：by Brian OlewnickRecorded after the release of his monumental The People United Will Never Be Defeated, these solo piano performances, played by the composer himself, are in a similar vein and are almost as magnificent. Again deriving his source material from American folk and protest songs, Rzewski elaborates on these "simple" and tuneful melodies and unlocks a wealth of beauty in the variations he spins. He has a unique and wonderful ability to do justice to both the melodic nature of his themes and to the abstract conjurations he wreathes them in, giving each equal weight and stress. His sense of drama is also unfailing but in an organic sense; nothing in the propulsive drive of these pieces seems artificial or constructed. Instead the listener is carried forth on a wild yet familiar-feeling ride, only realizing what has transpired after it's all over. "Ballad No. 3," based on the work song "Which Side Are You On?," is part of his "Four North American Ballads" and was included on the hat ART recording from 1989. Here it's given a somewhat more relaxed, stretched-out reading, no less lovely. The strident, populist theme is couched in Southern-sounding figures, causing the work to ricochet between the anxious pleas at the fore and a languorous, subtly threatening tone in the air. The LP version includes excellent liner notes by composer Christian Wolff. Unfortunately unavailable on disc as of 2002, this Vanguard issue remains an early high point in Rzewski's recorded career. Snatch it up if found.