“New Music for Piano, the Pandemic & a Centennial for a Silent Film Landmark”

Composer Al Kryszak is grateful for alternative venues to bring New Music to audiences during the unprecedented pandemic lockdown of live cultural events. His piano concerto score for the centennial of 1920 John Barrymore classic “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” airs on Turner Classic Movies this August 13th at 6 am. The marathon (79 minute) concerto for piano premiered live at the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2004, featuring acclaimed new music virtuoso Anthony de Mare. The horror classic premiered in the same city, 100 years ago, produced by Famous Players-Lasky Corp. The score reflects an era of leitmotifs & visual synergy by expanding Millicent’s (Martha Mansfield) piano parlor scenes into a plaintive waltz intended for her ill-fated chemistry boyfriend Dr. Jekyll (John Barrymore). The new film score came about through the support of Lincoln Center Film’s Sayre Maxfield, film preservationist Sandra Birnhak & TCM curator Charles Tabesh, on a “long & whiny road” beginning with Kryszak dragging his Buffalo, N.Y. musician pals to New York, (on a very long walk from parking since he was “On a budget”. Besides the August broadcast, a new piano collection including a scene from the film score, has just completed recording in Chicago, for Fall release on the FilmTrax label. The premiere recording, by 20th Century Music scholar & Busoni interpreter, Svetlana Belsky, features Kryszak’s “Lux Internum” (Internal Light: 12 Nocturnes for Piano) & selected rare works by Ignacy Paderewski, Marie Szymanowska and Moritz Moszkowski, for a Polish composer Centennial survey. Emigrating from Russia, Belsky’s discography includes Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (transcribed for solo piano by Vladimir Leyetchkiss), Sergei Prokofiev, Ferruccio Busoni, Bach & Chopin repertoire. Belsky also performs & records with Pianissimo Ensemble & The Estrella Piano Duo.