Peter Lieuwen Archive

LIEUWEN: Concertos Volume II = Slovak Nat. Sym. Orch. /Franz Krager and Texas Musical Festival Orch./ Krager – MRS Classics

by Audiophile Audition | Jul 23, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

LIEUWEN: Concertos Volume II = Concerto for Cello and Orchestra; Romance for Violin, Cello and Orchestra; Vivace for String Orchestra; Concerto for Piano, Marimba and Orchestra – Slovak Nat. Sym. Orch. /Franz Krager and Texas Musical Festival Orch./ Krager – MRS Classics MSR 1582 (4/14/16) TT: 1:03:57 [Distr. by Albany] ****: Contemporary music fans will feel at home with Lieuwen’s lovely compositions. My colleague Steven Ritter has previously reviewed Peter Lieuwen’s other MSR Classics disc, which comprises volume 1. He wished for more, and this disc is volume 2, entitled Concertos. As Steven Ritter noted, Lieuwen’s work is hard to characterize. I hear music that sounds like Gade, and some of the American contemporary masters, but the fact is Lieuwen’s sound is unique and compelling. Driving rhythms, thoughtful music, and some lovely dynamics make his music worth more than passing notice. The first work on the disc is a fine listen. It’s the Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, written in 2012. The concerto was written for cellist Nicholas Jones, who performs it here. The first movement is massively dynamic, while the second movement is played broadly and more melancholy at the outset. I have mixed options about the recording. The […]