'Christopher Lewis, playing two different instruments, performs each as an individual masterpiece, bringing out the many shades of dark and light, frequently subtle colours, and the marches, dances and fantasias that abound in the music'. - Gramophone Magazine (October, 2017)
'The Serenade in particular, offers a splendid example of how Lewis grasps the composer’s idiom and conveys it convincingly. He’s clearly having a great deal of fun playing this music and relishes the extent of the technical challenge as well as the lovely melodic moments that mark all of Persichetti’s harpsichord works. Well-programmed and wonderfully played...' - WholeNote Magazine (February 2018) 'Lewis’ phrasing and precise execution bring out the best in these works, clearly outlining Persichetti’s musical structures' - WTJU 'Starting his public career as a pianist and composer whilst still an adolescent, Persichetti was a precocious artist, and the spirit of his youthful mastery electrifies the performances of his music on this handsomely-recorded Naxos disc by Welsh harpsichordist Christopher D. Lewis. As in his previous recordings for Naxos, the eloquence of Lewis’s playing of Persichetti’s music belies his youth. The notion of a young musician having an ‘old soul’ is silly if rather poetic, but Lewis is an artist whose sensibilities encompass a near-boundless array of musical styles.' - Voix des Arts Instruments:
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Naxos: [Vincent] Persichetti - Harpsichord Sonatas (2017)
Release Date: July, 2017 Christopher D. Lewis (Harpsichord) Norbert Kraft and Bonnie Silver (Producers) Catalogue Number: Naxos 8.559843 The American composer, teacher and pianist Vincent Persichetti’s contribution to the harpsichord repertoire is unique among 20th-century composers. He wrote a diverse selection of music, including an opera and nine symphonies, but his substantial output for harpsichord offers a vivid and rich variety of expression. The ingenious contrapuntal writing alludes to baroque ornamentation while remaining firmly rooted in the contemporary idiom. Lyrical passages and technical brilliance abound with vitality and inventiveness. Harpsichord Sonata No. 1, Op. 52 I. Andante sostenuto II. Adagio III. Vivace Harpsichord Sonata No. 3, Op. 149 I. Allegro moderato II. Adagietto III. Allegro molto Harpsichord Sonata No. 5, Op. 152 I. Moderato II. Andante III. Allegro Harpsichord Sonata No. 8, Op. 158 I. Andante sostenuto II. Allegro ma grazioso III. Allegro con moto Harpsichord Sonata No. 9, Op. 163 I. Moderato II. Andantino III. Allegro Serenade No. 15, Op. 161 1. Prelude 2. Episode 3. Bagatelle 4. Arioso 5. Capriccio Naxos catalogue listing & online streaming available here. |
