Eric Lewis playing The Art of the Fugue with the Manhattan String Quartet and the New York Woodwind Quintet, Part 2

Description

The Boston Globe dubbed violinist Eric Lewis “a national treasure.” Foremost American composer David Amram wrote, “I consider myself blessed to know someone as gifted as Lewis.” His praise is echoed by prominent American composer John Corigliano: “I consider Eric Lewis to be one of the most remarkable and intelligent musicians I have ever met, and I have known many, many remarkable musicians in my profession.” The New York Times described Lewis’s playing as “exquisitely phrased, heartfelt… a full rich sound made the bittersweet, almost desolate spirit of the music tangible.” Lewis was founding member and long-time first violinist of the world-acclaimed Manhattan String Quartet. Between 1981 and 1989 MSQ served in residence and as music directors for Music Mountain in Falls Village, Connecticut. On Sunday, July 14, 1985, at 4 p.m. Lewis and MSQ joined with the New York Wind Ensemble to perform the 21 extant fugues and canons of J.S. Bach’s monumental The Art of the Fugue. This fine recording of that extraordinary evening was made by late audio engineer Howard Fawcett, who bequeathed it to Lewis; it has been recently restored in digital format by Jonathan Mullen. The recording captures the incomparable nuances and atmosphere of the live performance, and is being issued for the first time by Between Lines Books & Arts in two CDs. This live concert recording is a tercentenary testimonial to the enduring honor and reverence heaped on the monumental series of fugues (called contrapunctus and canons), which Bach bequeathed to future musicians in his supreme effort to enliven and resurrect the ancient art of polyphonic entwining melodies in contrapuntal harmonies. Bach's profound and emotional approach to melody is the all-important summing up of Baroque period evolution, which began in earnest at the beginning of the 17th century with composers enamored and in ardent pursuit of drama, fantasy, and romance, leading to the invention of the genre we call opera. The Art of the Fugue (Kunst der Fuge) dates from 1749-1750, the last days of Bach's life. He left his grand composition unfinished (16 fugues, 2 canons, 2 fugues for 2 claviers and an incomplete fugue on the name of Bach with a fantasy fugue chorale on "At his Throne"). The Art of the Fugue original score bears no indication as to the instruments to be used for its performance, so the arrangement for string quartet and woodwind quintet are an entirely proper adaptation. Its inclusion on this new Between Lines performance CD serves as a spiritual center of Eric Lewis's over 50-year career as violin virtuoso, conductor, recording artist, teacher and chamber music leader in diverse groups like the Manhattan String Quartet, Prometheus Ensemble, Delphi, PVP, and Elysium.