Lipkis: Pierrot and Friends

Musician, professor, and composer Larry Lipkis has written over 100 works for various vocal and instrumental ensembles. Lipkis’s love for the Commedia dell’arte stems from his career as a performer of Renaissance music, and these four concertos are musical portraits of characters from this popular theatrical tradition. The mischievous and impetuous “Pierrot” is embodied by the bassoon, while his beloved “Columbina” flutters and charms as a lively violin. The gentle, youthful “Innamorata” is expressed through a transparently accompanied flute, and the romantic entanglements and acrobatic humor of “Harlequin” are a perfect match for the larger-than-life musical personality of the bass trombone. This release consists entirely of world premiere recordings by Larry Lipkis, whose accessible yet highly personal style will appeal to a wide audience. As a performer of early music, he has always felt a strong connection to these whimsical, theatrical figures of the Renaissance and has been repeatedly drawn to compose works in which he attempts to capture the essence of their irrepressible spirit in music.

Multiple award-winning conductor Theodore Kuchar, who here leads the Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, of which he is the principal conductor, can be heard on nearly 150 albums. He was recently appointed principal conductor of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. Previously, he served as artistic director and principal conductor for orchestras in Venezuela and Australia.