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The fact that renowned Canadian musician Marilyn Lerner recorded her most recent CD at CBC’s Glenn Gould studio seems fitting. This Winnipeg-bred, Toronto-based musician is the most likely heir to the mantel occupied by the famous scarf-wearing eccentric who brought Bach to modern audiences via the splendid Goldberg Variations.

An undisputedly gifted composer, Lerner has also earned a reputation as a fine improviser, winning accolades from both critics and her peers in jazz circles. Romanian Fantasy, while relying heavily on her skills as an improvisational player and arranger, showcases Lerner’s deft touch with the ivories. Her playing has never sounded so assured as it does in this collection of contemporary takes on traditional Eastern European and Jewish melodies.
The raw emotion that permeates Romanian Fantasy transcends Lerner’s previous CD, Birds are Leaving, which was brimming with life. It could be that the source materials offer a more diverse emotional landscape, since the plight of the music’s original composers is one historically marked with struggle and resistance.

Lerner’s classical treatments of Romanian Fantasy’s 11-song cycle offer undeniable proof that Eastern European and Jewish tunes do not necessarily mean klezmer. Nary an accordion riff is to be found on these stirring arrangements.
Romanian Fantasy is available online at www.CDBaby.com .