Recording Musical Performances of the Finest Artists in Central New York: Renegade
Classics
Steven Rosenfeld, pianist
A native of Syracuse, New York,
Steven Rosenfeld studied during the high school years with
Patricia DeAngelis; then did undergraduate work at SUNY Binghamton under the
aegis of Walter Ponce.He received
his Master of Music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in
1980, and the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from the
SUNY at Stony Brook in 1985, studying with Martin Canin, and chamber music with
the Beaux Arts trio.
He was appointed first full-time Chairman of Piano at the Center for Creative
Studies - Institute of Music and Dance in Detroit where he served from 1987 to
1995. He was a soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and performed in
collaborative recitals with members of the DSO.Dr. Rosenfeld has concertized in Chicago, Boston, and New York, and
received critical acclaim as "a noteworthy talent...a top notch
pianist" (Detroit) and praised for his "instrumental authority and
stylistic integrity" (New York).
Since his return to Syracuse 1998 he has lectured and performed widely in Central New
York. Amongst these presentations are the recent performances of
several sonatas in a Beethoven Sonata lecture series, recitals at Syracuse
University and LeMoyne University, frequent contributions to the lecture
/performance series at OASIS in DeWitt, NY, and numerous lectures and recitals
given at private homes.He served as
faculty/consultant at Syracuse University from 1998 until 2002, and is
currently a piano instructor at Colgate University. He continues
his private piano teaching, which he has done for over 25 years.
Beethoven:
Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor
Concerto")
& Schubert Sonata in B flat, D. 960
The
Concerto was recorded live on February 12, 1982 with the Stony Brook
University Orchestra, David Lawton, conductor. The Sonata was
recorded live on October 25, 2000 at a lecture / performance series in
Manlius New York.
Beethoven
(1770 – 1825): Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat, Opus 73 'Emperor'
A compliment to Dr.
Rosenfeld's prior release of Chopin pieces, this fine collection of
continues the exploration of Chopin's finest works. Played sensitively
and with great emotional power, they are a fine addition to our musical
library.
Recorded live at a
studio performance in April and August 2006.
Domenico Scarlatti was
born in the year 1685, the same year as J.S Bach and Handel. However, his
life took a different creative turn from his colleagues, as he devoted
himself almost entirely to the writing of keyboard sonatas. This
single-minded pursuit produced 555 keyboard sonatas of remarkably high
quality, originality, and creative flair. There is a delightful and
charming sense about his music: it is playful, daring, ebullient, and
joyful. But one thing is certain, and that is the sonatas are always
inventive. The music takes unexpected harmonic turns, and presents even
shocking harmonic activity for that time period.
The majority of sonatas
were short in duration, averaging from three to six minutes. Many of them
are marked at a fast tempo, and they were all two-part compositions, or
binary forms. There are some very demanding technical aspects to the
writing, with cross-hand playing, jumps, repeated notes, double notes, and
rapid passage work. We know that Scarlatti was the teacher of Maria
Barbara, his accomplished pupil (and daughter of the King of Portugal) who
later became the queen of Spain, and that these pieces were written for her,
primarily.
All in all, with the
variety, uniqueness, and striking qualities of these sonatas, they form an
attractive and appealing part of any recital program, and are used as
encores often.
Introduction to the CD written by Dr. Steven Rosenfeld
A native of Syracuse, New York,
