Music of Peter Lieberson (Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto)

Peter Lieberson’s is certainly one of the most refreshing compositional voices to have entered the repertoire of the world s leading orchestras during the past several decades. Lieberson’s music ranges broadly: his compositions address the listener with a generous variety of character, while his harmonic palette expresses richly developed hues of both tonality and atonality. This CD features premiere recordings of three major works, opening with a setting of five Rilke poems written for the composer’s wife, the much admired mezzo-soprano, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Ms. Hunt Lieberson performs alongside one of Peter Lieberson’s most devoted champions, the estimable pianist, Peter Serkin. Their impassioned account of Lieberson’s Rilke Songs was recorded in concert at the Ravinia Festival. The Horn Concerto was composed for horn and a chamber orchestra, and is played by its dedicatee, the horn virtuoso William Purvis. The eighteen minute composition is in two movements that emphasize the lyrical nature of the horn, but also in the composer s words, its feisty, dance-like and humorous side. The largest work on this disc is The Six Realms, a twenty-seven minute cello concerto in six movements, originally composed for Yo Yo Ma. Based on the composer s long standing practice of Tibetan Buddhism, The Six Realms reflect the Buddhist realms, which offer a detailed portrait of human consciousness. The music of this utterly original concerto ranges from sensuously lyrical to humorous, and gives full voice to the cello’s ability to sing long lyric lines throughout its range. The cello soloist is Tchaikovsky Competition prize-winner Michaela Fukacova. Michaela Fukacova plays Poul Ruders: Anima (Cello Cto. No. 2) BRIDGE 9122 William Purvis plays Robert and Clara Schumann: Horn Music BRIDGE 9164 Peter Serkin plays Stefan Wolpe: Piece in 2 Parts, BRIDGE 9043