Music By My Friends
Bennett Lerner (piano), Christopher Berg (piano), Chester Biscardi (piano)
Bennett Lerner was born in Boston in 1944 and currently lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He is a well-known performer of contemporary music and has premiered many pieces by major composers. In 1985, he performed the Copland Piano Concerto with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic in honor of the composer's 85th birthday. The program was broadcast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center. Lerner was Copland's chosen soloist. His primary teachers were Claudio Arrau and Robert Helps, among others. Lerner received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from City University of New York in October, 2001, in piano performance and music history. Mr. Lerner writes: "Throughout my career I have had many close friends who were composers. Many of them wrote pieces for me, some of which I played in their world premiere performances, some of which I played many times, some of which I played only once, and some of which I played for the first time during the world tour of MUSIC BY MY FRIENDS in September-November, 2003. This recording is made up in large part of those pieces. In addition, it includes other works by my composer-friends." Comments from composers include Roger Zahab: "Your recordings are truly wonderful! I feel that you have done a magnificent thing for all of us. I wouldn't change a thing."; Tison Street: "The performances are absolutely stellar...Your performance of my Poem is just the best!..."; Donald Richie: "Your recording of your friends' music is your finest yet, and the relaxed beauty you bring to my little pieces is wonderful...."
Track Listing
Title | Composer | Performer |
---|---|---|
Midday Thoughts | Aaron Copland | Bennett Lerner, piano |
The Earth's Jig | Roger Zahab | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Ossessione | Christopher Berg | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Hommage à Fauré | Robert Helps | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Restoration | Christopher Berg | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Poem (If by Chance) | Tison Street | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Manic Etude | Christopher Berg | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Incitation to Desire | Chester Biscardi | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Montparnasse! Bienvenue! | Christopher Berg | Bennett Lerner, piano, Christopher Berg, piano |
The Room | Donald Richie | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Mestiere | Chester Biscardi | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Nel giardinetto della villa | Chester Biscardi | Bennett Lerner, piano, Chester Biscardi, piano |
Tango-Meditation | Christopher Berg | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Jazzy | Aaron Copland | Bennett Lerner, piano |
Reviews
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"...all in all, this is a splendid collection of new music..."
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"...this disc is worthwhile as a survey of less familiar....composers in the American neoclassical tradition."
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