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Reviews Conducting Located absolutely in the present at all times,...was Robert Levy, who conducted a series of difficult works with commendable awareness, conviction, and esprit. The stunning control, the unflagging discipline, the precision of articulation and the (almost too) careful placement of each note is most extraordinary for a band from a university numbering only 1100 students...the entire production is a tribute to superb coaching by a sensitive conductor....
Handel's Royal Fireworks Music gave us first trumpeter Robert Levy...doing first rate work. Robert Levy delivered an engrossing, often moving performance on trumpet. Robert Levy shows himself to be an excellent musician The Elegy for trumpet and Tape/Arp is a stunning work of searing intensity and this has to be a definitive, ultimate performance. It was apparent in all of Levy's playing that he knows his stuff, and he's to be admired for his endurance, not weakening perceptibly throughout an evening of hard, hard works Levy once again proved himself to be a master of avante-garde techniques with his superlative handling of all the labyrinthian difficulties posed by "Extensions." The trumpet and marimba hardly could have better virtuoso performers than Levy and Stout. The Wilder work is filled with untold difficulties for the trumpet, and Levy negotiated the passages flawlessly last night.
Record Reviews Robert Levy presents here a recording of great variety and musical diversity, highlighting the wide range of the solo trumpet...Throughout the album, Levy maintains a consistently high level of performance and seems entirely comfortable...he proves most enjoyable as a performer, allowing his warm lyricism to come to the fore as it does so effectively in Wilder's music...a worthwhile addition to the trumpet player's library. Levy is presented in a series of contemporary pieces for the trumpet. The LP is in a class by itself...Levy,..is endowed with a very great technique that enables him to surmount the challenge of the music with real class. The true dedication...to contemporary music is fully revealed in these excellent performances... a valuable reference tool for school libraries, as well as delightful listening. ---Music and Artists Magazine, NY Performance: very good...the performers handle their exacting assignments in a first-rate way.
Composition Chris Gekker Solo trumpet/Music of Robert Levy You need not be a trumpet aficionado to enjoy this varied recital of the trumpet as solo and in combination with other instruments. The music shows not only the sure hand of a gifted trumpeter-composer at work, but also a fertile imagination in their crafting. Splendid trumpet works skillfully rendered. The Melvern Drive Trio is scored for clarinet, trumpet, and piano. Its main interest is the way the composer constantly leads the listener into new and unexpected tonalities, gestures, styles, and effects (flutter-tonguing in the muted trumpet, for instance). All of these combine to result in a truly delightful work, one of my favorites in the recital. Gestures is recommended for advanced college-level students and professional players due to the extreme range and demanding flexibility required. While the advanced player will find it challenging in these respects, each movement is well-crafted and fairly short, making it an attractive addition to a solo recital... More esoteric still, but with occasional romantic overtones, was Robert Levy's Variations for Solo Cello, an austere yet sensuous work that fairly trembled with interior contradictions.
Jazz Perhaps the greatest tribute trumpeter Bob Levy pays Alec Wilder is the judiciousness he displays in handling Wilder's music. Though he possesses a wonderful facility on his instrument and could undoubtedly solo rings around these changes, Levy generally trusts Wilder's melodies to speak for themselves, and places his improvisations separate from and of secondary importance to a full, lovingly precise statement of the melody...a wistful, yearning Blackberry Winter. All these playing modes and groupings display the multifaceted talents of Levy...For the sheer variety of presentations, Levy is a wonder. he is able to switch styles with ease and is comfortable in all of them...this musical smorgasbord [Crossover] has many bright moments. A breath of fresh air [Jazz Composers Alliance-Flux ] amongst the revivalism prevalent in jazz. In all, this [Ken Schaphorst-"When the Moon Jumps"] is one of the most excitingly provocative large ensemble ventures that I've heard in years. |
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Trumpet Performance