Lowell Liebermann: Piano Sonata no.1 op.1/mov.1

Composer: Lowell Liebermann
Performer: David Korevaar
Composition:Piano Sonata no.1/mov.1
Adagio


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Lowell Liebermann is one of America's most frequently performed and commissioned composers. Called by the New York Times "as much of a traditionalist as an innovator," Mr. Liebermann's music is known for its technical command and audience appeal. Multiple recordings of many of his works attest to the enthusiasm shared by performers and listeners for his music: the Sonata for Flute and Piano has been recorded sixteen times to date; the Gargoyles for piano eleven times; and the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra is available on four different releases.

Upcoming premieres include Liebermann's second full-length opera, "Miss Lonelyhearts" set to a libretto by J.D. McClatchy after the novel by Nathanael West. The opera was commissioned by the Juilliard School to celebrate its 100th Anniversary, and will be premiered on April 26th at the Juilliard Theater in Lincoln Center. Piano Concerto No.3 was commissioned for pianist Jeffrey Biegel by a consortium of eighteen different orchestras both here and abroad. The premiere will take place this May with the Milwaukee Symphony conducted by Andreas Delfs. The group Concertante has commissioned a new work to feature violinist Xiao-Dong Wang. Other premieres will include new works for horn player Leslie Norton and pianist Nadejda Vlaeva.

Recent seasons heard the premieres of several major Liebermann compositions. His Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned and premiered by the Toledo Symphony under the baton of Grant Llewellyn, and later recorded by Llewellyn with the BBC Symphony for CD release. Stephen Hough and the Indianapolis Symphony performed Liebermann's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which the orchestra commissioned to celebrate Raymond Leppard's farewell concert as conductor. Charles Dutoit and the Tokyo NHK Symphony gave the world premiere of Variations on a Theme of Mozart, commissioned to commemorate the orchestra's seventy-fifth anniversary, and also recorded by the BBC Symphony. The New York Philharmonic and principal trumpet Philip Smith presented the premiere of Mr. Liebermann's Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, which the Wall Street Journal described as "balancing bravura and a wealth of attractive musical ideas to create a score that invites repeated listening. [Liebermann] is a masterful orchestrator, and just from this standpoint the opening of the new concerto is immediately arresting," also noting that the "rousing conclusion brought down the house."

In 2001 Mr. Liebermann was awarded the first American Composers' Invitational Award by the 11th Van Cliburn Competition after the majority of finalists chose to perform his Three Impromptus, which were selected from works submitted by forty-two contemporary composers. In an interview with newscaster Sam Donaldson, Van Cliburn himself described Mr. Liebermann as "a wonderful pianist and a fabulous composer." Liebermann's Symphony No. 2 was premiered in February 2000 by the Dallas Symphony and Chorus, under the direction of Andrew Litton. Time magazine wrote, "Now brazen and glittering, now radiantly visionary, the Liebermann Second, a resplendent choral symphony, is the work of a composer unafraid of grand gestures and openhearted lyricism." Mr. Litton and the DSO recorded the symphony and the Liebermann Concerto for Flute and Orchestra for Delos, with Eugenia Zukerman the soloist. In February 2001, the Dallas Symphony gave the New York premiere of Liebermann's Piano Concerto No. 2 at Carnegie Hall, with Stephen Hough as soloist. Stephen Wigler of the Baltimore Sun found the concerto to be "perhaps the best piece in the genre since Samuel Barber's concerto." John Ardoin, of the Dallas Morning News, described the work as "more than a knockout; it is among the best works of its kind in this century." Stephen Hough's recording of the concerto -- conducted by the composer -- received a 1998 Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition....

...continued on lowellliebermann.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Composer
• Lowell
• Liebermann
• Piano
• Sonata
• no.1
• op.1
• mov.1
• David
• Korevaar
• alternative
• classical
• pop
• jazz
• indie
• hip-hop
• wo

[xiphoid13]

nice. but do you know why contemporary composers wrote so atonal? you realy must be skilled to write something like that and still make it sound nice.

[4444matthew4444]

well I didn't write this Lowell Liebermann Did and yes he is an amazing composer!

[spinningfan]

i wonder how many of you went to wikipedia for 'your thoughts' on atonal.

[frosty956]

I dont tink so. Why cant you just enjoy it for listening to? why does it have to have 'meaning'? Why do you have to understand, just enjoy.

[ctimur]

@xiphoid13 one of the main purposes of contemporary classical music is to break the old habits; such us tonality, obvious and singable melodies, symmetric forms...

and you know, for me, since there's a really really big technological difference between now and a hundred years ago -even ten can be mentioned-, these attitudes which forms the contemporary music, are inevitable, yet even not enough =)

best regards dear brother.

[SatanPanda]

sound like crap

[xodn3300]

@clearsunnysky do mozart sonatas have such "meaning" that you're demanding from this piece? i don't think anyone needs help liking or disliking this particular piece

[hotplate85]

Well-done, but not representing post-modernism in ANY way. Sounds like Kirchner or any academic composer....not that that's bad, but hardly inspiring.

[saulboyjt]

this is idiotic 'music'.

[clearsunnysky]

I feel that would help appreciate the music more but if you could help me out here: is there some place I could go to get the artist's meaning of the piece or will it have to be wading through people's interpretations? I will love you forever if you can help me out here.

[Yale75]

Excellent performance of excellent music!

[worleca27]

Really exciting music!

[caveman3461]

it sounded nice, either my tastes have changed beyond my understanding or my liking to Chopin's work has led me into a liking of many more piano played songs.