Piano Trio No. 2 "Silent Voices" ...
On the occasion of its premiere at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., Joseph McClellan wrote in the Washington Post, "The highlight of the day was the final piece: the world premiere of the specially commissioned Piano Trio No. 2, "Silent Voices," by American composer Benjamin Lees. It would be hard to describe this powerful, eloquent work more succinctly than the composer, who calls it 'a small gesture of remembrance to those whose voices were forever stilled by pogroms and genocides of the past.'
"In trying 'to blend the elements of drama, grief and lyricism into a very compact muscial statement,' he has succeeded impressively. The music sounds like wordless voices, grieving and pleading, interrupted by explosive sounds, rising to a climax and sinking slowly to silence. It was the right music for this museum and its impact was overwhelming."
From Music & Vision Daily in the U.K.
March 12, 2003
A commanding spirit
Chamber music from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -
appreciated by
PATRIC STANDFORD
... beautifully recorded and artistically stimulating.
In the fourth of Steven Honigberg's series of chamber music recordings from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, five composers with strongly defined musical personalities are brought together in a varied and arresting recital, beautifully recorded and artistically stimulating. Throughout all the pieces it would be difficult to allow the attention to wander, for each has a commanding spirit and an individual voice, and each is given a strongly committed performance.
Steven Honigberg is the cellist in all the pieces... The pianist [is] Carol Honigberg....
The most substantial work in the recital is the Piano Trio Silent Voices by Benjamin Lees, a strong and concentrated single movement (near fifteen minutes) with bold statements [listen -- track 18, 4:02-4:55] and occasional disturbing, perhaps angry, outbursts [listen -- track 18, 8:51-9:39]. Lees, born in 1924, was once a student with the eccentric 'bad boy of music' George Antheil, and if his work is unfamiliar to readers, they should hasten to remedy their benightedness with the Naxos recording of his Fourth Symphony Memorial Candles and the Violin Concerto on the Vox label. This Piano Trio is given a vivid performance by those for whom it was written in 1998: George Marsh, violin, Steven Honigberg, cello and the pianist Joseph Holt.
From July 2005 Musical Opinion:
Chamber music from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -
appreciated by
PATRIC STANDFORD
... beautifully recorded and artistically stimulating.
In the fourth of Steven Honigberg's series of chamber music recordings from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, five composers with strongly defined musical personalities are brought together in a varied and arresting recital, beautifully recorded and artistically stimulating. Throughout all the pieces it would be difficult to allow the attention to wander, for each has a commanding spirit and an individual voice, and each is given a strongly committed performance.
Steven Honigberg is the cellist in all the pieces... The pianist [is] Carol Honigberg....
The most substantial work in the recital is the Piano Trio Silent Voices by Benjamin Lees, a strong and concentrated single movement (near fifteen minutes) with bold statements [listen -- track 18, 4:02-4:55] and occasional disturbing, perhaps angry, outbursts [listen -- track 18, 8:51-9:39]. Lees, born in 1924, was once a student with the eccentric 'bad boy of music' George Antheil, and if his work is unfamiliar to readers, they should hasten to remedy their benightedness with the Naxos recording of his Fourth Symphony Memorial Candles and the Violin Concerto on the Vox label. This Piano Trio is given a vivid performance by those for whom it was written in 1998: George Marsh, violin, Steven Honigberg, cello and the pianist Joseph Holt.
From July 2005 Musical Opinion:
ARMAN TRIO AT THE WIGMORE
The programme presented by the Arman Piano Trio from Turkey, sponsored by SA Banci Holding, at the Wigmore Hall on 24 June was far from traditional in content....
The greatest interest of the concert centred upon the second half, which began with the British premiere, no less, of the distinguished American composer Benjamin Lees' Piano Trio No 2 "Silent Voices" – intended, as the composer says, as "a small gesture of remembrance to those whose voices were forever stilled by pogroms and genocides of the past". The work is in one movement and was written in 1998; if some may think it has a tendency to work its material too thoroughly, I was utterly gripped by it, as were many in the large audience, who gave the composer – who was present – a standing ovation....
Robert Matthew-Walker
The programme presented by the Arman Piano Trio from Turkey, sponsored by SA Banci Holding, at the Wigmore Hall on 24 June was far from traditional in content....
The greatest interest of the concert centred upon the second half, which began with the British premiere, no less, of the distinguished American composer Benjamin Lees' Piano Trio No 2 "Silent Voices" – intended, as the composer says, as "a small gesture of remembrance to those whose voices were forever stilled by pogroms and genocides of the past". The work is in one movement and was written in 1998; if some may think it has a tendency to work its material too thoroughly, I was utterly gripped by it, as were many in the large audience, who gave the composer – who was present – a standing ovation....
Robert Matthew-Walker
PLEASE NOTE:
No reproductions of photos, articles, music or reviews are permitted without permission
of the Estate of Benjamin Lees.
No reproductions of photos, articles, music or reviews are permitted without permission
of the Estate of Benjamin Lees.