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Health & Fitness

LEON FLEISHER: ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE Bridge Records 9429

We have something to celebrate today! That wonderful label Bridge Records has released a brand new, let me say it again, a brand new recording by pianist Leon Fleisher!!! Yes, three exclamation points!!!

For those of you who might not know, Leon Fleisher was among the greatest pianists of his generation. Making his debut with the New York Philharmonic at the tender age of 16, Fleisher went on to become the first American to win the Queen Elizabeth competition, and afterwards was signed on to Columbia Records (now SONY Classical) and assigned to record with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra on Columbia's Epic label. With George Szell Fleisher recorded a complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Concerti, Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 25, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and much more. 

As might not be well known was the fact that at his height as a concert pianist in world-wide demand, he was struck down with focal dystonia, a neurological condition which left him unable to use his right hand with two fingers immobile. But fortunately for Mr. Fleisher (and for us) there was a body of music written for and commissioned by pianist Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961) who had lost his right arm during World War I. One member of a very musical household, Wittgenstein played duets with Richard Strauss, of whom Wittgenstein commissioned two piano concertos for the left hand, the Parergon zur Sinfonia Domestica, Op. 73, and the Panathenzenzug, Op. 74. Mr. Fleisher went on to record Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand coupled with the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 4 for the Left Hand and Britten's Diversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra (buy now at http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=6752&source=VENEZ) as well as chamber music by Franz Schmidt (Quintet in G for Piano Left Hand and Strings) and Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Suite for Piano Left Hand and Strings, ,Op. 23, both works commissions by Paul Wittgenstein!

In the late 1990's Mr. Fleisher began to take botox treatments for his focal dystonia. While the botox hasn't cured the problem, it has been able to relax the condition enough to allow Mr. Fleisher to perform with both hands, as was evidenced in his recording Two Hands on the Vanguard label. I remember the outstanding performance on this cd of the music of Bach (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and Sheep May Safely Graze), Domenico Scarlatti (Harpsichord Sonata in E, K 380/L 23), Chopin (Mazurka in c sharp minor, Op. 50 No. 3 and Nocturne in D flat, Op. 27 No.2), Debussy (Clair de Lune from the Suite Bergamasque) and Schubert (Sonata for Piano in B flat, D 960). This is a remarkable performance and can be purchased at http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=88473&source=VENEZ. I can still feel the chills the Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring gave me the first time hearing this recording which was our Pick of the Week at WQXR.

Mr. Fleisher shows off his versatility here, from arrangements of George Gershwin's The Man I Love (as arranged by Earl Wild) and Jerome Kern's All the Things You Are (arranged by Stephen Prutsman) to (what I believe is the world premiere recording) George Perle's magnificent Musical Offerings, which was written for Mr. Fleisher for his 70th birthday. Also included are Federico Mompou's Prelude Number 6 for the Left Hand, Leon Kirchner's L.H. (written for Leon Fleisher), Dina Koston's Thoughts of Evelyn and Mr. Fleisher's specialty, the final ciaconna (Chaconne) from the Solo Violin Partita in d minor, BWV 1004, as arranged for the left hand by Johannes Brahms. What a tour de force! Again, starting off with Bach, again chills listening to this great artists' musicality!

There's so much to talk about when it comes to Leon Fleisher: his teaching, of which award winning pianist Mona Golabek is one of his students from Peabody; master classes; his performing with orchestras and in chamber settings; his conducting with the Annapolis and Baltimore Symphonies; to his being awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 for his contributions to US culture. To have this new recording by Leon Fleisher is a treasure, plain and simple, and I'll treasure this along with my other Fleisher recordings. I can't wait for Bridge to bring out some more of this remarkable pianist!

Donald Venezia, July 22, 2014  

To buy now at a special price from ArkivMusic, http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?ordertag=Perfrecom14598-1459373&album_id=1463131&source=VENEZ

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