12 Dreams for Piano

A mysterious and romantic project inspired by dreaming, the pieces are rooted in Dębicz’s clearly defined cinematic classical style, while simultaneously drawing on the tradition of the classical piano cycle.

Aleksander Dębicz – pianist, composer, arranger, and musical director – is one of the most versatile and innovative artists on the Polish music scene. He is the creator and performer of an original style he himself describes as cinematic classical – a movement that combines the language of classical music with the narrative nature of film music and the space of improvisation. He pioneered this style on his debut album, Cinematic Piano (2015, Warner Classics), and has consistently developed it in subsequent releases, compositions, and concert projects.

In his new album, Dębicz immerses himself in the poetics of dream - an impulse that spontaneously captivated him and inspired the creation of a new solo album. A dream, or perhaps a reverie? Nothing here is unambiguous, as in many nocturnal stories. This is undoubtedly the most mysterious and romantic project in the pianist’s body of work.

The pieces are rooted in Dębicz’s clearly defined ‘cinematic classical’ style, while simultaneously drawing on the tradition of the classical piano cycle. Dream becomes a form in itself - sometimes simple, sometimes strange, governed by its own oneiric logic. During the creation of 12 Dreams, Dębicz began collaborating with the artist WEARYMARY and felt an immediate connection through the way dreams play a vital role in her artistic world. Together, they created the song REM - a distinct, self-contained dream story within the universe of the record.

“I chose to shape these new compositions as a cycle of piano miniatures, referring to a classical tradition. I therefore treat the dream not only as a theme, but also as a form - an equivalent of the Romantic prelude. 12 Dreams is conceived as a complete cycle, yet I also enjoy performing individual dreams as independent pieces.” - Aleksander Dębicz

The artist is not certain whether dreams should be interpreted. Sometimes, however, it is worth surrendering to them - and allowing them to become a source of inspiration.