Piano Phantoms
Piano Phantoms
Artist: Michael Lewin
Composers: Walter Niemann, Sergei Lyapunov, Edvard Grieg, Carl Tausig, Nikolai Medtner, Antonin Dvorak, Eugène Goossens, Carlos Troyer, Heino Kaski, John Vallier, William Bolcom, Harry Farjeon, Florence Price, Edgar Bainton, Ferdinand Hiller, Julie Rive-King, Franz Schubert, Stephen Heller, Robert Schumann
Format: 1 CD
DSL-92168
Sono Luminus is proud to announce the latest project from Michael Lewin, Piano Phantoms, following the popular and critical success of If I Were a Bird (DSL- 92103). This creative new recording is a collection of 18 piano pieces by a mixture of famous and lesser-known composers, each inspired by phantoms, goblins, ghosts and the spirit world. This program includes eight world premiere recordings.
Mr. Lewin commented, “It was a great pleasure to make a second theme recording for Sono Luminus. The entire process is so exciting— musicaldiscoveries, the unearthing of new repertoire, creating a wonderful and interesting program, learning and performing the music, then nally, recording in the beautiful Sono Luminus studios in Virginia. The response to our rst disc together, If I Were a Bird, has been warm and gratifying, and I hope that our listeners will also enjoy this slightly more shadowy cast of characters!”
Michael Lewin enjoys a distinguished international reputation as one of America’s most abundantly gifted and charismatic concert pianists, performing to acclamation in 30 countries. Commanding a repertoire of 40 piano concertos, Michael Lewin has appeared as soloist with the Netherlands Philharmonic, Cairo Symphony, Bucharest ‘Enescu’ Philharmonic, Filharmónica Jalisco de Guadalajara, State Symphony of Greece, the Boston Pops, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Symphonies of Phoenix, Indianapolis, Miami, Colorado, Nevada, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, Illinois, North Carolina, Sinfonia da Camera, and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. He has premiered two Concertos by David Kocsis and performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue over 50 times.
Lewin’s career was launched with top prizes in the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in the Netherlands, the American Pianists Association Award and the William Kapell International Competition. Following his notable New York recital debut in Lincoln Center, The New York Times wrote that “his immense technique and ability qualify him eminently for success.” Since then he has concertized widely in solo recital, with orchestras, and as a chamber musician.
Piano Phantoms is a tour-de-force of virtuoso pianism and imaginative musicianship. Michael Lewin’s artistic tone-painting, control of tone colors and ability to tell stories through sound gives unique life to each ghost and goblin.
Track List
1. Ghosts: Night on the Fleet - Walter Niemann — 3:47
2. Round of Phantoms - Sergei Lyapunov — 3:23
3. The Goblins’ Wedding Procession at Vossevangen - Edvard Grieg — 2:26
4. The Ghost Ship, Op. 1b - Carl Tausig — 9:09
5. Wood Goblin - Nikolai Medtner — 3:38
6. Goblins Dance - Antonin Dvorak — 3:23
7. A Ghost Story - Eugène Goossens — 1:59
8. Ghost Dance of the Zunis - Carlos Troyer — 5:39
9. Night Music of the Mountain Goblin - Heino Kasko — 1:36
10. The Ghosts of Restormel - John Vallier — 2:24
11. Graceful Ghost Rag - William Bolcom — 4:06
12. Some Goblins and Gnomes and Things - Harry Farjeon — 1:47
13. The Goblin and the Mosquito - Florence Price — 0:59
14. Goblin Dance - Edgar Bainton — 1:11
15. The Dance of the Phantoms - Ferdinand Hiller — 2:38
16. March of the Goblins - Julie Rivé-King — 2:48
17. Spirit Dance - Franz Schubert, Arr: Stephen Heller — 2:33
18. Ghost Variations - Robert Schumann — 2:06
19. Variation I — 1:34
20. Variation II — 1:49
21. Variation III — 2:13
22. Variation IV — 2:07
23. Variation V — 2:53
Total time: 65:56
Release date: May 2013
UPC: 053479216823
Quotes & Reviews
This is a beautifully contrived CD. The notes are excellent, giving as much information about these invariably attractive pieces and their not-so-well-known composers. I was impressed by the vibrant sound quality. Michael Lewin’s playing is flawless. There is no sense of condescension apparent in any of these pieces - even those that the ‘high-brow’ may regard as less-than-worthy of a concert pianist. Each number is given a concentrated, well wrought performance that reveals the composer’s picturesque, creepy and at times macabre musical imagery.
This is a fabulous - in more ways than one - new release from Sono Luminus that explores a wide range of musical achievement from a number of talented composers. It is a CD that will be of interest to all those who are young at heart and who relate to goblins, ghouls and things of the night. This disc is a delight for anyone who has enjoyed Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre and has wondered if there is any more ‘scary’ music in the repertoire. music in the repertoire.
John France, MusicWeb International
Lewin's eclectic recital is a delight from start to finish… The recording quality is sensationally vivid.
Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk
Theme recordings don’t always work, simply because the gimmick of the theme doesn’t always produce music of outstanding quality, but in this disc pianist Lewin seems to have been inspired by the learning of new pieces and thoroughly enjoyed making the disc. I, for one also enjoyed listening to it.
…Bravo, Michael Lewin!
Lynn René Bayley, Fanfare Magazine
“Lewin’s eclectic recital is a delight from start to finish…The recording quality is sensationally vivid.”
“Piano Phantoms is a tour-de-force of virtuoso pianism and imaginative musicianship. Michael Lewin’s artistic tone-painting and ability to tell stories through sound gives unique life to each ghost and goblin. The program includes eight world-premiere recordings.”
