10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY - 2CD + DVD
Live From Benaroya Hall, Seattle: May 2009 & May 2010
Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Franz Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, Giuseppe Verdi
THE AMERICAN STRING PROJECT
Barry Lieberman & Maria Larionoff, Artistic Directors
Arrangements for String Orchestra by Barry Lieberman
[MS1386]
$19.95
LISTEN
REVIEWS
"...the performances are well played and recorded."
Bauman, American Record Guide - September/October 2011
"...well crafted arrangements of quartet masterworks. There is no shortage of energy or sensitivity... "
[Performance * * * * *] BBC Music - August 2011
"Beethoven’s Op.59 No.2 here...has merit as a performance... fine playing, bold and confident in the Verdi and in the chamber-sized Mendelssohn, and in terms of Lieberman’s intentions a good showcase for his arrangements... The recording quality can’t be faulted"
Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International - September 2011
"...stylish arrangements and very polished performances... for listeners without an anti-arrangement bias, this program should prove a revelation, a refreshing take on classics of the repertoire... for the beautifully secure—and just plain beautiful— playing of the ensemble, this package is certainly worth hearing. Add to that the illuminating DVD, and you have an altogether worthwhile experience, one that I’d recommend even to folks who think they don’t like string quartets in arrangement."
Lee Passarella, Audiophile Audition - September 2011
PROGRAM NOTES
Reflections on 10 years of The American String Project
The two Compact Discs and DVD that you have in your hands represent the culmination of 10 years of the Project. Speaking on behalf of the many musicians who have contributed to our concerts and recordings, we are proud of the work we have done and hope that you will enjoy our performances for years to come. For years preceding the founding of the Project in September, 2001, it was my dream to create a conductor-less string orchestra and expand the chamber music repertoire for the double bass, my own much-neglected instrument. To date, we have arranged and performed more than 100 chamber music works. My most gratifying compliment is that many of my colleagues who perform with us approve of our “transformations” and want to return each year. I believe these performances are some of the best we have done, and I am happy to be able to offer performances that represent the complete 2010 season. The DVD, produced in 2009, will give you a look inside the Project workings, which are a model of collaboration at its best. - Barry Lieberman
www.TheAmericanStringProject.org
PROGRAM
CD1
FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
STRING QUARTET NO.4 in E MINOR, OP.44, NO.2
I. Allegro assai appassionato
II. Scherzo
III. Andante
IV. Presto agitato
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1872)
STRING QUARTET NO.8 in E MINOR, OP.59, NO.2 “RASUMOVSKY”
I. Allegro
II. Molto adagio
III. Allegretto
IV. Finale: Presto
CD2
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)
STRING QUARTET in E MINOR
I. Allegro
II. Andantino
III. Prestissimo
IV. Allegro assai mosso
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)
STRING QUARTET NO.66 in G MAJOR, OP.64, NO.4
I. Allegro con brio
II. Menuetto: Allegretto
III. Adagio cantabile e sostenuto
IV. Finale: Presto
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
STRING QUINTET NO.2 in G MAJOR, OP.111
I. Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
II. Adagio
III. Un poco allegretto
IV. Vivace ma non troppo presto
DVD
THE AMERICAN STRING PROJECT – A DOCUMENTARY
IN REHEARSAL AND IN CONCERT, MAY 2009
Sergei Prokofiev: String Quartet No.2 in F major, Op.92 (arr, B. Lieberman)
Robert Schumann: String Quartet No.3 in A major, Op.41, No.3 (arr, B. Lieberman)
Manuel de Falla: Siete Canciones Populares Espanola; Asturiana (arr. S. Chase)
MSR Classics
