Debussy: Starry Night – Preludes, Book I & Other Works Michael Lewin

• Claude Debussy (1862–1918): Estampes
• 1 No. 1. Pagodes 05:55
• 2 No. 2. La soiree dans Grenade (Evening in Granada) 05:23
• 3 No. 3. Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain) 03:47
• 2 Arabesques: No. 1 in E Major
• 4 2 Arabesques: No. 1 in E Major 04:17
• Children's Corner: VI. Golliwogg's Cake-Walk
• 5 Children's Corner: VI. Golliwogg's Cake-Walk 03:05
• Les soirs illumines par l'ardeur du charbon
• 6 Les soirs illumines par l'ardeur du charbon 02:34
• Nuit d'etoiles (arr. K. Attwood for piano)
• 7 Nuit d'etoiles (arr. K. Attwood for piano) 04:36
• Préludes, Book I
• 8 No. 1. Danseuses de Delphes 03:12
• 9 No. 2. Voiles 03:39
• 10 No. 3. Le vent dans la plaine 02:12
• 11 No. 4. Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir 03:31
• 12 No. 5. Les collines d'Anacapri 03:06
• 13 No. 6. Des pas sur la neige 03:51
• 14 No. 7. Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest 03:28
• 15 No. 8. La fille aux cheveux de lin 02:33
• 16 No. 9. La serenade interrompue 02:30
• 17 No. 10. La cathedrale engloutie 06:06
• 18 No. 11. La danse de Puck 02:52
• 19 No. 12. Minstrels 02:30
• Total Runtime 01:09:07

Info for Debussy: Starry Night – Preludes, Book I & Other Works

„Starry Night“ is Michael Lewin’s fourth studio recording for Sono Luminus, providing the companion disc to his critically-praised Beau Soir (DSL92175), containing the Debussy Préludes Book II and other works.

„Starry Night“ opens with worldly 'Estampes' (Prints) (1903), which contains three movements: Pagodes (Pagodas), La soirée dans Grenade (Evening in Granada), and Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain). It follows with the delightfully impressionistic 'Arabesque No.1 in E Major' (1888), 'Golliwog’s cake walk' (1908), 'Les soirs illuminés par lardeur du charbon' (Evenings lit by the burning coals) (1917) and, of course, 'Nuit d’etoiles' (Starry Night) (1880).

„Nuit d’etoiles“ for voice and piano was written by Debussy when he was 18, using a setting of a poem by Banvile. Koji Attwood made a stunning transcription for solo piano, making its debut recording on this album. The album finishes with Debussy’s iconic '12 Préludes, Book I' written in 1910. Lewin adds a refreshing grace to these traditionally revered pieces.

A Julliard School graduate and a Steinway Artist, Michael Lewin was a student of Leon Fleisher. Debussy is one of his favourite composers - he studied the piano music with the legendary French pianist Yvonne Lefébure, who had played it for the composer. They worked together in Debussy’s hometown of St Germain en Laye, in the same Conservatoire where he had studied as a boy, during the last summers of her life.

With an active repertoire of 40 piano concertos, Lewin has appeared as soloist with many different orchestras and esteemed conductors from around the world. He has premiered two Concertos by David Kocsis and performed Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody in Blue' over 50 times. Lewin’s Career was launched with top prizes in the International Liszt Piano Competition, the William Kapell International Competition and the American Pianists Association Award. Following his New York recital debut in Lincoln Center, the New York Times wrote that “his immense technique and ability qualify him eminently for success”.

Since then he has played solo recitals widely, as well as with orchestras and as a chamber musician. His discography reflects his interest in and command of a notably wide-ranging repertoire, and he was the featured artist in the 2014 album 'Winds of Samsara', which won the 2014 Grammy Award in the 'New Age' Category.

Michael Lewin, piano

Michael Lewin
is internationally applauded as one of America’s most abundantly gifted and charismatic concert pianists, performing to acclaim in over 30 countries with orchestras, in recital and as a chamber musician.

Celebrated for his performances of Liszt, he honored the composer's 200th birthday in 2011 around the world with recital programs entitled “Liszt and his Circle” and orchestral performances of the Totentanz and First Piano Concerto. Other recent performances include recitals in Canada and at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., performances of Beethoven's 1st and 3rd Concertos, the Boston premiere of John Harbison's 'Leonard Stein Anagrams' and the world premiere of the David Kocsis “Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra.” He recently made his London recital debut at Wigmore Hall (all-Griffes program), gave a recital at Oxford University, toured China playing the Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 with the China National Radio and Television Orchestra, and made his 13th appearance with the Boston Pops. Summer festival appearances included Holland’s “Peter the Great Festival”, MusicFest Perugia in Italy, the VivaceVilnius Festival in Lithuania and the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York City. Mr. Lewin now records exclusively for Sono Luminus, who released 'Piano Phantoms' in May 2013 following the great success of his first CD for the label entitled 'If I Were a Bird.' Forthcoming is an all-Debussy disc, and his 2013 recitals have featured the music of Debussy.

Commanding a repertoire of 40 piano concertos, Michael Lewin’s international orchestral engagements include the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Cairo Symphony, Bucharest ‘Enescu’ Philharmonic, Beijing National Radio and Television Orchestra, Filharmónica de Guadalajara, the Thessaloniki State Symphony of Greece, and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. He has soloed with American orchestras including the Boston Pops, the Symphonies of Phoenix, Indianapolis, Miami, Colorado, Nevada, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, Illinois, North Carolina, Sinfonia da Camera, and the Jupiter Symphony, He has given world premieres of two piano concertos by David Kocsis, the “Concerto for the New Millennium” in 2000 and the 'Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra' in 2012. He has performed Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody in Blue' over 50 times. He has performed with conductors including Carlos Miguel Prieto, Keith Lockhart, Constantine Orbellian, Anton Kersjes, Theo Alcantara, Ian Hobson, Sergei Babayan and Hugh Wolff.

Michael Lewin’s career was launched with top prizes in the Liszt International Piano Competition in the Netherlands, the William Kapell International Competition, and the American Pianists Association Fellowship. He has been awarded major career grants from the Martha Baird Rockefeller Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and the Aaron Copland Recording Fund.

Mr. Lewin’s discography has received extraordinary critical praise, and reflects the great scope of his musical interests. “If I Were a Bird,”a selection of 20 bird-themed pieces for Sono Luminus, received a Grammy nomination in the 'Producer of the Year' category. The just-released 'Piano Phantoms' features music inspired by ghosts, goblins, phantoms and the spirit world. An all-Debussy disc featuring the Préludes Book II is in preparation. His recording of Gottschalk piano music, “Bamboula!,' earned a Boston Herald “Year’s Top 10 Pick”, while the Boston Globe enthused that “Lewin has the chops and the charm for these pieces.” For Naxos he has recorded a best-selling collection of Scarlatti Sonatas and the complete piano music of American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes in two volumes. Mr. Lewin's recordings on Centaur include “Michael Lewin plays Liszt,” “A Russian Piano Recital”, featuring music of Scriabin, Glazunov and Balakirev, and the four Violin and Piano Sonatas of William Bolcom with violinist Irina Muresanu.

The New York Times wrote of his New York recital debut in Lincoln Center in 1984 that “his immense technique and ability qualify him eminently for success”. Since then, his tours have taken him to New York’s major halls, Boston's Symphony Hall, Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium, the Library of Congress and National Gallery of Art in Washington, Moscow’s Great Hall, Hong Kong's City Hall Theater, Taipei's National Concert Hall, the Opera Houses of Cairo and Wilmington, the Athens Megaron, Holland’s Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, London’s Wigmore Hall and the Spoleto Festival. Television appearances include a PBS recital performing Schubert’s “Wanderer Fantasy” and Chopin works, hosted by Victor Borge. He has been the featured interview in Clavier and Piano & Keyboard Magazines, and edited piano music of Griffes for C.F.Peters. A Steinway Artist, he was Artistic Director of Steinway’s Gala 150th Anniversary Concert held in 2003 in Boston’s Symphony Hall. His commitment to contemporary music has led to premiere performances of compositions by Joel Hoffman, Andy Vores, David Kocsis, Sylvia Rabinof, Robert Chumbley, Andy Vores and John Harbison.

Deeply committed to guiding and nurturing gifted young pianists, Michael Lewin is one of America’s most sought-after teachers. He is currently a member of the Piano Faculty at The Boston Conservatory, where he also directs the Piano Masters Series. A native of New York, he studied at the Juilliard School. His own teachers included Leon Fleisher, Irwin Freundlich, Adele Marcus, and Yvonne Lefébure.

Booklet for Debussy: Starry Night – Preludes, Book I & Other Works