October 2025 will see the release of a collaborative recording between New England area pianist Karina Keshishian and the poetry / music project: The Poe Underground. The album being released is sort of a double album featuring twelve tracks of piano with poetry and twelve instrumental tracks.
The poetry is read by poet and podcast host D.K. Mckenzie against the backdrop of Karina’s stellar piano performances. The theme of the recordings is famous Russian composers mixed in with both poetry and prose. In the midst of the various works of the four Russian composers chosen, one famous German composer makes an appearance in the form of Johann Sebastian Bach.
All together there are twenty four works of music that were chosen, recorded, and mixed with the intention of blending spoken word poetry with classical music. The end result is something unique and fun. The stark and distinct music of composers Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Bach make a lasting impression.
Here is a live video recording of Karina’s piano performance with a poetry reading.