Music of the Human Spirit
These are seven of my favorite guitar pieces from the last half of the 20th
century. With the exception of Francis Poulenc, I have known all of these
composers, to varying degrees, and each one has been an influence on my own
work as a composer. So this recording bears a very personal stamp. This is also
music which shuns the cerebral preferences of much 20th-century composition
and balances heart, mind and spirit with more equal weight. It is music of the
human spirit. -- from liner notes by David Leisner
"A clear winner...The current all-contemporary collection is both a virtuosic showcase
album and a heady collection of some of the finest guitar music and arrangements on
disc...His phrasing is as exquisite as his fingers are nimble...Gives Leisner the
opportunity to showcase his wit and personality along with his technical brilliance"
Tucson Citizen
"Orotund sound and richly nuanced interpretations...Leisner's performance of the
Ginastera Sonata is magnificent, a revelation... It is a magisterial reading, one that I will
return to whenever I want to reacquaint myself with this extraordinary piece."
American Record Guide
"A fascinating journey...a feast of styles...Leisner plays everything with refined
command of the guitar's expressive breadth. The recorded ambiences are crystal-
clear. A"
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Peter Sculthorpe's From Kakadu has a haunting beauty that reveals more of itself with
repeated hearings...Leisner has both the technique and the musical intelligence to
bring out the work's beauty and coherence."
Classical Guitar
"If you play it loudly enough, and listen very closely, you can hear the guitar's
repertoire expanding."
Customer review, amazon.com
Website content © David Leisner 2008. All rights reserved.
These are seven of my favorite guitar pieces from the last half of the 20th
century. With the exception of Francis Poulenc, I have known all of these
composers, to varying degrees, and each one has been an influence on my own
work as a composer. So this recording bears a very personal stamp. This is also
music which shuns the cerebral preferences of much 20th-century composition
and balances heart, mind and spirit with more equal weight. It is music of the
human spirit. -- from liner notes by David Leisner
"A clear winner...The current all-contemporary collection is both a virtuosic showcase
album and a heady collection of some of the finest guitar music and arrangements on
disc...His phrasing is as exquisite as his fingers are nimble...Gives Leisner the
opportunity to showcase his wit and personality along with his technical brilliance"
Tucson Citizen
"Orotund sound and richly nuanced interpretations...Leisner's performance of the
Ginastera Sonata is magnificent, a revelation... It is a magisterial reading, one that I will
return to whenever I want to reacquaint myself with this extraordinary piece."
American Record Guide
"A fascinating journey...a feast of styles...Leisner plays everything with refined
command of the guitar's expressive breadth. The recorded ambiences are crystal-
clear. A"
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Peter Sculthorpe's From Kakadu has a haunting beauty that reveals more of itself with
repeated hearings...Leisner has both the technique and the musical intelligence to
bring out the work's beauty and coherence."
Classical Guitar
"If you play it loudly enough, and listen very closely, you can hear the guitar's
repertoire expanding."
Customer review, amazon.com
Website content © David Leisner 2008. All rights reserved.
| CD PROGRAM: Sonata Op. 47 by Alberto Ginastera From Kakadu by Peter Sculthorpe Variations on a Tune of Stephen Foster by Richard Winslow Fourth Knee Play by Philip Glass (from Einstein on the Beach) Serenade by Lou Harrison Sarabande by Francis Poulenc Suite by Ned Rorem |