Leon Fleisher – All the Things You Are
By Ralph Graves
Listen to this album very carefully. Otherwise, it’s easy to forget that Leon Fleisher is performing with just his left hand. The chords are so artfully arpeggiated, and the movement up and down the keyboard so swift, that Fleisher maintains the illusion that he’s playing with both hands. And that’s sort of the point. These works — and Leon Fleisher’s performances — can be judged on their own merits, not a special sub-set of music.
This recital disc, with two execeptions, features works that were either composered or arranged for Fleisher. And what a program! The original works include Leon Kirchener’s 1995 L.H, George Perle’s Musical Offerings (for Fleisher’s 70th birthday), and Dina Koston’s Thoughts of Evelyn. Fleisher’s friend and colleague Earl Wild re-arranged his study Gerswhin’s The Man I Love for him. Also included is Brahms’ left hand study of a Bach Chaconne, and Federico Mompou’s 1930 Prelude No. 6 for left hand. And the disc concluds with Stephen Prutsman’s arrangment of Jerome Kern’s All the Things you Are.
Leon Fleisher’s musicality brings out the best in each of these compositions, and unites them into a cohesive program. An amazing audio document.
Leon Fleisher: All the Things You Are
Johannes Sebastian Bach: Chacoone (arr.for the Left Hand by Johannes Brahms as Etude No. 5); Leon Kirchner: L.H.; George Gershwin: the Man I Love (arr. for Left Hand by Earl Wild as Etude No. 3); George Perle: Musical Offerings; Federico Mompou: Prelude No. 6 for Left hand; Dina Koston: Thoughts of Evelyn; Jerome Kern: All the Things You Are (arr. for left hand by Stephen Prutsman)
Bridge
