St. Paul’s Artist Series presents classical guitarist/composer, DAVID LEISNER performing works by Johann Kaspar Mertz, Manuel de Falla, and Heitor Villa-Lobos, as well as one of Leisner’s own compositions. The concert takes place at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (305 W. Seventh at Pine Street) on Friday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the St. Paul’s website and will also be sold at the door on the night of the concert. For more information, visit: http://www.stpaulschatt.org/concert-season/.
A versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as a captivating performing artist, a distinguished composer, and a master teacher, David Leisner has been hailed “as one of the finest guitarists of all time” (American Record Guide). Other accolades include: “A totally unselfconscious virtuoso who gently and undemonstratively led the listener into thrilling and deep emotional spaces.” (The New York Times); “To his brilliant technique, his solid sense of rhythm, his fertile musical imagination, David Leisner added the pleasure of a program that was as exceptional as his playing.” (The Boston Globe); and “He was never just a guitarist but a lively, inquiring, original musical personality that had found its voice in the guitar; and there was some very fancy guitar playing on display, too.” (The Los Angeles Times).
Describing his program for St. Paul’s, David Leisner remarks, “The first half is bookended by two pieces, Elegy and Tarantella, by Johann Caspar Mertz, a remarkable 19th century guitar virtuoso and composer whose work I helped rediscover. In between there's a composition of mine called Labyrinths, written in a kind of minimalist style in which each movement takes a simple musical idea and develops it in a different way. The other work is a short, dense, beautiful piece by Manuel de Falla, called Homenaje, written as an homage to Debussy for his funeral. The second half of the program focuses on one composer: the Twelve Études by Heitor Villa-Lobos. They were written in 1928 in Paris for the renowned guitarist Andres Segovia, who didn't like them at first, but then came around to them, and he eventually compared them to the famous Chopin Études for piano! Individually, the Études are beautiful, each one is a gem; but played together as a set – which is rarely done – they become a huge and powerful presence. It’s like traversing a person's life going from a less mature period to a more mature period. I never, ever get tired of playing this work, and audiences adore it. I look forward to performing these works for Chattanooga audiences, and I hope people will enjoy taking this musical journey with me.”
Paul Thomas, Director of Music at St. Paul’s comments, “We invite audiences to hear this extraordinary music in our beautiful space. We hope that these concerts provide an opportunity to leave the distractions of daily life and come away feeling renewed.”
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