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Maya Fridman
Cover of Into Eternity

Into Eternity

April 28, 20238 tracks

At the heart of this album is a musical triptych inspired by a letter written by Vilma Grunwald saying goodbye to her husband just moments before she and her son John were killed in the Auschwitz gas chamber.

Tracklist

Press

“This release is more than a compelling musical experience; it is a document that no one should miss.”

Adrian Quanjer, HRAudio

“However difficult it may be to place the terrible, gruesome and bizarre in an aesthetic framework, the whole nevertheless proved to be the pervasive reflection of an indefinable state of mind that leaves the abstract far behind without, however, lapsing into unwanted effect chasing. Vocal and instrumental contributions lived up to that in extraordinarily impressive fashion. The recording is superb: strictly clear and colourful.”

Aart van der Wal, Opus Klassiek

“In the song the words of the letter are sung by the rich contralto voice of Bella Adamova, whose sincere delivery of Von Tilzer’s touching evocation of sadness and resignation is the most affecting track on the disc. The composer captures the emotional mood of the letter with simplicity while her transparent scoring of the piece conveys the deep love and resignation found in Vilma’s note. The vocalist has been recorded at a slight distance from the microphones; this gives the impression that Vilma is singing to the listener from just beyond this world, and adds to the emotional journey of the experience.”

Mike Parr, MusicWeb International

“To say that von Tilzer has created a recording of poetic depth and musical beauty only begins to capture it. As grounded in her compositions as it is, however, Into Eternity derives a huge measure of its impact from the exceptional playing by her partners, Fridman first and foremost.”

Ron Schepper, Textura

“In listening to this album, I encourage you to find your quiet, dark, happy space and distance yourself from all distractions. When I did this, the music simply drew me in, enveloped me, and totally engaged my mind and spirit. I don't often say this of recordings, but this is one that fully rewards the effort.”

Rushton Paul, Positive Feedback

“From the dark turmoil of the opening movement, Von Tilzer allows the sung letter to rise slowly — with soft strings and the heartbeat of the piano — from the muck of Auschwitz. And in the final movement, she recaptures innocence from hatred and evil through the simplicity of a lullaby, a beautiful dialogue between alto Bella Adamova and Maya Fridman's drifting cello.”

Joost Galema, NRC (Album of the Week & 4th Best Album of the Year)

“In the song the words of the letter are sung by the rich contralto voice of Bella Adamova, whose sincere delivery of Von Tilzer’s touching evocation of sadness and resignation is the most affecting track on the disc. The composer captures the emotional mood of the letter with simplicity while her transparent scoring of the piece conveys the deep love and resignation found in Vilma’s note. The vocalist has been recorded at a slight distance from the microphones; this gives the impression that Vilma is singing to the listener from just beyond this world, and adds to the emotional journey of the experience.”

Len Mullenger, MusicWeb International