Michael Lewin - If I Were a Bird (2011)
Artist: Michael Lewin
Title: If I Were a Bird
Year Of Release: 2011
Label: Dorian Sono Luminus
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC (tracks + booklet)
Total Time: 1:13:05
Total Size: 258 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist:Title: If I Were a Bird
Year Of Release: 2011
Label: Dorian Sono Luminus
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC (tracks + booklet)
Total Time: 1:13:05
Total Size: 258 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
1. Michael Lewin – Pieces de clavecin: Suite in E minor: V. Le rappel des oiseaux (03:01)
2. Michael Lewin – Waldvogeleins Lust, Op. 55 (01:06)
3. Michael Lewin – Roman Sketches, Op. 7: No. 1. The White Peacock (05:12)
4. Michael Lewin – 6 Fancies, Op. 7: No. 2. To a Humming Bird (00:46)
5. Michael Lewin – Preludes: No. 1. La colombe (the Dove) (02:26)
6. Michael Lewin – Lyric Pieces, Book 3, Op. 43: No. 4. Little Bird (Voglein) (02:09)
7. Michael Lewin – Goyescas, Book 1: No. 4. Quejas, o La maja y el ruisenor (05:45)
8. Michael Lewin – Abendmusik, Op. 59: No. 3 Waldvglein (Little Wood-Bird) (01:33)
9. Michael Lewin – 2 Pieces for Piano, Op. 2: No. 1. Les Doux Alouettes (Two Larks): Impromptu (03:47)
10. Michael Lewin – Miroirs: No. 2. Oiseaux tristes (03:50)
11. Michael Lewin – Glinka: A Farewell to St. Petersburg: Glinka - a Farewell to St Petersburg: No. 10. Zhavoronok (the Lark) (05:11)
12. Michael Lewin – Waldscenen, Op. 82: No. 7. Vogel als Prophet (the Songster-Prophet) (04:13)
13. Michael Lewin – Water-wagtail, Op. 71: No. 3. Bergeronnette (02:34)
14. Michael Lewin – Premier livre de pieces de clavecin, Suite No. 3: No. 15. Le Coucou (01:51)
15. Michael Lewin – Carnival of the Animals: XIII. Le Cygne (the Swan) (arr. A. Siloti) (02:51)
16. Michael Lewin – 2 Melodies russes, S250/R102: No. 1. Le rossignol, air russe d'Alabieff (03:33)
17. Michael Lewin – Turkey in the straw (arr. D. Guion) (03:02)
18. Michael Lewin – 12 Etude caracteristique, Op. 2: Etude caracteristique, Op. 2: No. 6. Si oiseau j'etais (02:01)
19. Michael Lewin – Alt-China (Old China), Op. 62: No. 2. The Chinese Nightingale, "Elegy" (05:09)
20. Michael Lewin – The Firebird Suite (arr. G. Agosti): II. Dance infernal du roi Kastchei (05:22)
21. Michael Lewin – The Firebird Suite (arr. G. Agosti): VI. Berceuse (Lullaby) (03:28)
22. Michael Lewin – The Firebird Suite (arr. G. Agosti): VII. Finale (04:05)
Throughout his career pianist Michael Lewin has been fascinated by music inspired by birds and has often included these pieces on his recitals. If I were a bird is a diverse, charming selection that brings together 20 avian pieces from the Baroque to the 20th century. The most impressive and substantial work is a highly effective transcription of three movements from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite made by Guido Agosti, and Lewin plays it with ferocious intensity and it's a real show-stopper. Lewin is especially compelling in the dazzling virtuoso repertoire -- the late Romantic showcases like the character pieces by Josef Hoffmann, Theodor Leschetizky, and Edward MacDowell -- and in the really substantive works like the movements from Schumann's Waldszenen, Granados' Goyescas, Ravel's Miroirs, and Messiaen's early Preludes. The extravagantly ornamented Baroque pieces by Rameau and Daquin, originally for harpsichord, are delightfully quirky. He is less persuasive in lyrical works like Saint-Saëns' The Swan, which lacks the singing legato line it needs.
As might be expected, because of the subject matter and the fact that many of these are explicitly descriptive pieces, the center of gravity of the majority of them tends to be in the treble range of the keyboard. That becomes problematic only because the sound is on the unforgivingly bright side and is not especially deep. The lack of warmth and resonance, especially in the lower register, is most notable in the more lyrical selections.
As might be expected, because of the subject matter and the fact that many of these are explicitly descriptive pieces, the center of gravity of the majority of them tends to be in the treble range of the keyboard. That becomes problematic only because the sound is on the unforgivingly bright side and is not especially deep. The lack of warmth and resonance, especially in the lower register, is most notable in the more lyrical selections.
