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Realized is my first album of original music symbolizing the sudden realization of my musical abilities in my early thirties. My Klezmer roots and classical influence weave an uncanny fusion of raw sophistication and poignant lyricism.

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Listening List

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Reviews

Henny Kupferstein, the composer, adventurer, innovator of musical discovery through the prism of perfect pitch and sensory integration, has made a giant leap on her new CD “Realized”. This exquisite and intriguing new music with irregular meter, recurring figures of melodic development and rhythmic vibrancy is perfect for choreographers who yearn for beautiful, interesting and innovative movements with melodic distinctiveness. From the high octane of warmth and hope in “Dealing With It: Five Stages of Grief” and reflective passion of “Laminade” to the improvisational avaunt guard, “Music For People” (which is totally accessible to any taste and my favorite on the CD), Henny Kupferstein is someone to look out for as an up and coming great virtuosity of composition. Listening to the new compositions lets the mind soar and opens closed doors of artistic vision. A must for any theatre artist who uses music in the studio or on stage.

Clay David, Theatre Director, Choreographer
Berkeley Playhouse, Circle of Light Theatre, Aurora Theatre
The Autism Channel

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TRACKS

Album Notes

Sonata No 3 in G for Piano and Cello

Deep tones open up this piece without the intention of darkening the mood. Instead, the upbeat and steady pulse leads the listener into a journey of cushioned stability. Composed in Winter 2013, This composition is the first and only piece that I have ever written while another person was watching it unfold. This was a unique experiment which grew to incorporate my ideas with the observer’s likes and emotions and into a blended thought. This piece is easy to listen to as the sound progresses meticulously through its start and end points without dragging the listener into its transitions.

Al Yis’hallel (Piano Trio)

Al Yis’Hallel is a piano trio composed in Winter 2012 for easy listening. This composition is to be played in a mellow and steady lilting sound, the sound of gentle loving rebuke and to be performed with classical instrumentation for piano, cello, and violin. This piece sings to you all the way through the key change and the gentle end. Inspired by Jeremiah 9:22-23 – “Al yis’hallel chacham b’chachmaso… hagibor b’gvuraso…ashir b’ashro; ki im b’zos yis’hallel hamis’hallel – haskel v’ydoa Osi! – Let not the wise praise himself for his wisdom, nor the strong for his strength/health, nor even the wealthy for his wealth; only for the following can one praise himself: when showing insight, and for that you know/understand Me [God]!”.

Blouse (Brass Trio)

After graduating with my music degree, I had to trade my hooded sweatshirts for professional dress. “Blouse” reflects my resentment at having to be all proper while missing my friends from college. Writing for wind instruments was my idea for paying tribute to my favorite musician-friends into one performance experience. When writing for performers, a composer must also take the extra measures to keep the tones within their comfort zone. This piece was a musical expression of my admiration of musicians who have gained exceptional mastery of their instruments. As a thanks to their skill, this piece fits their instrumental ranges comfortably for their utmost enjoyment.

Sonata No 2 in F for Piano

The key of F is the most repulsive to my synesthetic ear, a reaction I cannot suppress. I challenged myself to write a solo piece for piano, my most precious instrument of choice. To survive the ordeal, I fought to remain true to the key signature. The listener can hear the desperate attempts to veer into the comfortable relative keys. In the end, I did come home to the key of F to symbolize my discipline as a composer.

Music for People (Unplanned Improvisation)

Music for People (MfP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to music-making and music improvisation as a means of self-expression. In the Spring of 2012, I entered the world of making music with others with intentional sharing of sound. The joys of this intimate process is revealing to self and others. This precious moment was captured in a spontaneous recording. There were no discussions before any playing has commenced other than an shared moment to take a deep breath together. Joined by Grammy® Award-winning cellist David Darling, this moment will never be forgotten.

Sonata No 1 in E-Flat for Piano and Violin

The Sonata in Eb was a project designed to force me to reduce all the glorious sounds in my head and simplify it for a duet. In a way, choosing the piano felt like cheating since it gave me an opportunity to throw in ten possible notes with each linear moment of the piece. The painstaking effort to make each note carry more weight than a full chord resulted in a very light and fluffy piece for intelligent listening. The melody line is very singable and memorable. The pitch choices create a symphonic texture and pulse change to accommodate the rise and fall of the emotional peaks. This piece symbolizes a complex sound that prints deceptively simple on paper until analyzed.

Cantabile in D (Duet for 2 Clarinets)

The idea for this style came from the desire to use traditional notation to dictate a specific thought to the performers with guaranteed replication each time. Cantabile is an Italian term from Late Latin cantābilis, meaning worthy to be sung. In this composition, I wrote the notes with the perfect timing without room for interpretation. This way, my original idea of when to stretch a moment of the phrase can be notated in the passage exactly to be performed in this way each time. This perfect interplay between the two clarinets makes it seem like a lone singer out in the field, begging for an audience.

Dance for Strings, Sonata No 4 in A

Writing for strings is such a joy for me. In this string trio, I relied on the skill of my string-playing friends and give them something in their familiar repertoire to explore. This very traditional piece is written in classical instrumentation for cello, viola, and violin. Textures and ideas are explored one at a time so as not to overload the listener. The individual sections flow in a familiar sound of the The Classical period in music history. My personal favorite is the opening to the third movement—Trionfante, to be played with a triumphant and majestic assertion of one’s musical training.

Laminade (String Quartet)

This piece was born in the moment of inspiration when experiencing several challenging hurdles. I willed myself into writing something that would not drag the listener into that unforgiving space. The word “laminade” was uttered in conversation that day instead of the word “validate”. The frustrations of the moment leaked into my conversations which pushed me to seek solace in music composing. Written in 45 minutes, this piece helped tide me over that time. By writing for strings without any prior experience, I was able to explore my potential as a composer and self-validate without having to speak.

Dealing With It: Five Stages of Grief

“Dealing With It”, is a quintet with non-traditional instrumentation for piano, cello, flute, french horn, and violin. Composed in Winter 2013, the Kübler-Ross “five stages of grief” are represented in the score. Denial, anger, bargaining and depression culminate into a final section of acceptance, sounding out how I deal with it. The number five also represents the my four children and I as a unit.