Peter Scott Lewis - Recordings: Where the Heart is Pure

Where the Heart is Pure

Composer: Peter Scott Lewis
Poetry: Robert Sund
Publisher: Theodore Presser
Cover Art: Nathan Oliveira
Producer: New Albion Records: NA079 © & ℗ 1996

[ indicates Full length audio sample]

TRACK	TITLE	DURATION	FLASH PLAYER	MP3
	I. Violin Concerto
1.	Summer Nights	7:07	MP3 Player
2.	A Song Of Contemplation	8:08	MP3 Player	N/A
3.	Toccata	3:54	MP3 Player	N/A
	II. Where the Heart Is Pure
4.	Where The Heart Is Pure	7:24	MP3 Player
5.	Night Along the Columbia	6:11	MP3 Player
6.	Spring Poem in the Skagit Valley	2:01	MP3 Player
	III. Delicate Sky
7.	Intense, Yet With Swing	6:12	MP3 Player
8.	Following Through	10:44	MP3 Player
	IV. Sun Music
9.	Open Air	5:39	MP3 Player
		Total: 57:26

Performers:
Track 1-3: Kees Hülsmann, soloist; Kent Nagano, conductor and music director; Berkeley Symphony Orchestra
Track 4-6: Stephanie Friedman, mezzo soprano; Laurent Pillot, conductor; Berkeley Symphony Orchestra
Track 7-8: Nadya Tichman, violin; Jack van Geem, percussion; Robin Sutherland, piano
Track 9: Robin Sutherland: piano

Reviews

Peter Scott Lewis is a composer of considerable talents. ... solid construction ... strong rhythmic sections ... luminous ... ably performed by Kees Hulsmann and The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra ... under Stephanie Friedman’s flawless diction ... Robin Sutherland’s fine solo performance.

Phillip George: 20th Century Music

San Francisco composer Peter Scott Lewis writes in an attractive tonal idiom that appeals to both the heart and mind. The music is euphonious and often disarmingly pretty, but with a core of strength that shows itself in surprising harmonic choices and vigorous instrumental textures.

Where The Heart Is Pure: ... a thoughtful and varied song cycle to poems of Robert Sund. The vocal writing shows equal concern for the shape of the poetry and for the autonomous demands of melody, and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Friedman gives a beautifully crafted performance. Violin Concerto: ... with vibrant sections... receives a committed performance from Kees Hulsmann. Delicate Sky: an offbeat, charming trio, gets a finely wrought performance by violinist Nadya Tichman, percussionist Jack Van Geem, and pianist Robin Sutherland.

Joshua Kosman: San Francisco Sunday Chronicle

The mood throughout is romantic without clichés, the writing contemporary without contrivance. The piece makes demands on the soloist in ways that are both exciting and rewarding, with fresh sounds deftly woven into the total fabric. Above all, it is an easy piece to listen to, yet one that promises fresh insights on rehearing.

Particularly attractive was an ostinato figure in the orchestra during the second movement that provides momentum over which the violin unfolds a lyrical melody.

Janet Livingstone: The Montclarion: Oakland, CA (Violin Concerto)

Composer PETER SCOTT LEWIS uses the poetry of Northwest American poet Robert Sund to very different effect. Where The Heart Is Pure (New Albion) is sung by mezzo-soprano Stephanie Friedman and performed by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra. Both composer and poet capture the misty shades of the Northwest hills in their music and words, and while this is in the "new classical" vein, it will nonetheless appeal to any audience with good ears and an adventurous spirit.

Steve Taylor: Hollow Ear Review

Peter Scott Lewis is a west coast composer, now living in San Francisco... What you find is a serious, straightforward neo-romanticism, almost Bergian, without the Viennese master’s edge. Written in the mid 1980s, at the height of a flowering of concerto composition in the United States, Lewis’ Violin Concerto is a fine example of the genre. It is challenging for the soloist and accessible to the audience, without pandering or condescending. Kees Hulsmann gives a fine performance. The other pieces are also quite good, especially Delicate Sky for violin, piano, and percussion, which recalls a less dense and more colorful John Harbison. All of the performers are excellent, as are New Albion’s sound and packaging.

Stephen D. Hicken: American Record Guide

Peter Scott Lewis’ new CD creates orchestral music, joined by unique chamber music, blended in a careful manner. The first composition, Violin Concerto, is embellished with vitality and much calm. In contrast, Where The Heart Is Pure, a composition dedicated to Pablo Casals, the results are more rigorous and extroverted. In Delicate Sky, specially composed for this CD, the composer creates a climax with a simple and correct ascension. Lastly, Sun Music is a brief exercise for the piano, which is accentually dramatic.

P.M.: juke VOICE, Spain

Recordings

View All Recordings »

Home Stretch

Composer: Peter Scott Lewis
Publishers: Theodore Presser
Producer: Lapis Island Records

The Four Cycles

Composer: Peter Scott Lewis
Publishers: Theodore Presser
Producer: Naxos – American Classics © & ℗ 2016

River Shining Through

Composer: Peter Scott Lewis
Publishers: Theodore Presser/ASCAP and Lapis Island Press/ASCAP
Cover Painting: Ward Schumaker
Producer: Lapis Island Records: LIR003 © & ℗ 2007

Atlantic Crossing/Rhapsodic Images

Composer: Peter Scott Lewis
Publisher: Theodore Presser
Cover Photo: Rondal Partridge
Producer: Lapis Island Records: LIR002 © & ℗ 2004

Three Suites for Guitar

Composer/Soloist: Peter Scott Lewis
Publishers: Theodore Presser and Lapis Island Press
Cover Photo: Rob de Jong
Producer: Lapis Island Records: LIR001 © & ℗ 2003

Where the Heart is Pure

Composer: Peter Scott Lewis
Poetry: Robert Sund
Publisher: Theodore Presser
Cover Art: Nathan Oliveira
Producer: New Albion Records: NA079 © & ℗ 1996

Beaming Contrasts

Composer: Peter Scott Lewis
Publisher: Theodore Presser
Cover Art: Clayton Lewis
Producer: New Albion Records: NA060 © & ℗ 1993

Stream On

For securely purchasing CD's over the internet:

Amazon US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, and Japan. These CD's are also available in stores.

Distribution:

Lapis Island Records is widely distributed through City Hall Record Distribution (United States, Canada, and Mexico), and internationally by IODA. It is also sold as an import in various countries. Both New Albion Records and Theodore Presser Company publications are widely distributed throughout the world. Please refer to those companies for any additional information.

Recording Engineers: Jack Vad and Tom Lazarus (violin concerto)

Donations:

Please note that Lapis Island Records has non-profit status through the San Francisco Study Center, it’s fiscal sponsor. Therefore any funding assistance is welcomed and appreciated. Recent Grant: Argosy Foundation, for River Shining Through CD.

For commissioning new work:

Please contact composer.