Reviews New Age (a translation from Spanish to English)
My Beloved by Michael Dulin – Spanish Version Click Here
Only a few neoclassical pianists today possess the gifts of both virtuosity and composition. Among the few exceptions we find Michael Dulin, whose compositions abound with both mastery and beauty, captured in works that contain both classical purity and passion.
After Timeless II (2011) and a 10-year retrospective titled “These Are the Moments”, Dulin returns with an excellent romantic piano album, My Beloved, which is comprised of 12 songs of intimate character, showcasing his unique personal sound and natural gifts.
While listening to the first song, “Beloved”, one imagines a couple drinking wine and listening to music, the senses swirling in shadow. “Beloved” is an invitation to experience the love story that follows. The intimacy of the moment continues with “Devotion”, a song that finds Dulin’s fingers in a slow, smooth dance on the keys, tracing a lush melody that is sweet as nectar. “Chanson” is perfectly hypnotic. Just close your eyes, and let the song take you into a dream.
With “Through The Night”, there is a change of emotions, ripe with the memory of anxious moments, a striking picture of both the bitter and the sweet sides of love.
With “Walking Joy” the sun shines again, resplendent with a luminous feeling of love that shapes the overall music of this CD. “My Treasure” makes you smile as it draws you into a calm and peaceful dream. Like a slow and sensuous procession, “She Walks in Beauty” is a vision of loveliness, fragility and balance. It is a dream, a breath, the idealization of perfection before you. Intimacy and passion are found in “Two Hearts”, in which Dulin lays bare his heart’s deepest feelings with the music speaking for him.
In “Before There Was You”, a sad and listless melody invades the listener, lamenting the time before his heart was awakened by the love for his wife, Jan, who inspired the album. “As Long As We’re Together” recalls earlier albums and songs like “Follow the River” and “The One I Waited For”, overflowing with hope and happiness. I like it!
“When I Think of You” is slow and delicate, the perfect accompaniment for a night of romance. The album closes with great “Rhapsody”, a magnificent dance that shows Dulin in total control of the instrument. A stupendous end to the album.
With My Beloved we see an evolution in Dulin’s style, as evidenced by more passion and warmth than we have seen in his earlier works. Dulin shows convincingly that virtuosity, when placed in the service of great compositions, results in music that is alive and memorable. In My Beloved, Dulin’s deeply personal music speaks volumes.