ENJAMIN LEES
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      • String Quartet No. 6
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String Quartet No. 1 ...


Virgil Thomson wrote in the New York Herald Tribune, "A work of considerable substance. Neo-Romantic of inspiration, it deals with rounded thematic material, both diatonic and chromatic, in the extended developments marked by musical fancy and by an unusual depth of personal feeling. A nobly spontaneous work, songful, sincere, individual."

Cypress String Quartet at San Jose's Le Petit Trianon

Cypress String Quartet plays works by Mozart, Lees, and Brahms

Reviewed by:
Dr. Gary Lemco: www.grapevineculture.com
Reviewed: 2004-02-23
Rating: 5 Stars


The Cypress String Quartet, violist Geraldine Walther assisting, showered a packed house at Le Petit Trianon Sunday evening, February 22 with lovely music by Mozart, Lees, and Brahms. The formal program complemented the Saturday afternoon, 1:30-3:30 "In-depth/Insight Program" the Cypress players and Mr. Lees conducted to familiarize inquisitive music lovers with Mr. Lees' First String Quartet (1952) as well as the influences Haydn's G Major Quartet, Op. 33, No. 6 had upon colleague Mozart's own D Minor Quartet, K. 421 which graced Sunday's repertory. Mr. Lees (b. 1924), who seems to have been "discovered" after fifty years of creative work, genially explained his First Quartet and then digressed into a discussion of the classical tradition's errant ways of the past thirty years or more, losing touch with an audience increasingly disaffected with merely intellectual trends in composition.

Not that Mr. Lees need fear for his First Quartet. In three eminently tonal movements, wavering between modal treatments of B-flat and E-flat, its alternately aggressive and lyrical filigree disarmed the audience with its economy and simple gestures of the heart. The Adagietto is a plain-speaking lovely song, deftly played by cellist Jennifer Kloetzel. First violin Cecily Ward had some bravura concertante passages, lithely answered in canonic form by viola Ethan Filner and second violin Tom Stone. Lees had quipped on Saturday, "The slower and longer the movement, the more quickly the audience loses interest if you have nothing to say." By the end of the piece, this audience was curious to know when the Cypress Quartet's set of Lees' Quartets would be out on CD.


PLEASE NOTE:
No reproductions of photos, articles, music or reviews are permitted without permission
of the Estate of Benjamin Lees.
  • Home
  • Biography
    • The Introduction
    • Biography of the Man
    • Biographical Chronology
    • Awards
    • Feature Articles
    • Yale's Acquisition
  • Compositions
    • Written Works >
      • Chronological List of Works
      • A Capella
      • Chamber Works
      • Works for Concert Band
      • Orchestral Works
      • Works for Solo Instrument
      • Stage Works
      • Works for Solo Instrument & Orchestra
      • Song Cycles & Solo Vocal Works
      • Works for Voice(s) and Orchestra
    • Reviews >
      • Reviews - Piano Music 1947 - 2005 >
        • Review - Uncle Dave Lewis (AllMusic Blog)
        • Review - Shirley Ratcliffe
        • Review - Scott Morrison
      • Borealis
      • Concerto for Brass Choir and Orchestra
      • Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
      • Concerto for French Horn and Orchestra
      • Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra
      • Concerto for Violin & Orchestra - April 29, 2008
      • Concerto for Woodwind Quintet and Orchestra
      • Constellations for Orchestra
      • Divertimento-Burlesca
      • Echoes of Normandy
      • Etudes for Piano and Orchestra
      • Fantasy Variations for piano
      • Medea of Corinth
      • Mirrors
      • Oboe Concerto
      • Odyssey 1
      • Odyssey 2
      • Passacaglia for Orchestra
      • Piano Concerto No. 3
      • Piano Sonata No. 4
      • Piano Trio No. 2 "Silent Voices"
      • Scarlatti Portfolio
      • Six Ornamental Etudes
      • Sonata No. 3
      • String Quartet No.1
      • String Quartet No.2
      • String Quartet No. 4
      • String Quartet No. 5
      • String Quartet No. 6
      • Symphony No. 2
      • Symphony No. 3
      • Symphony No. 4 "Memorial Candles"
      • Symphony No. 5 "Kalmar Nyckel"
      • Variations for Piano and Orchestra
      • Violin Concerto
  • Media
    • Interviews >
      • Interview KPFA 94.1 FM
      • Interview KUSC fm 91.5
    • Documentary
    • Photos
    • Audio
    • Video Clips #1
    • Video Clips #2
  • Recordings
  • Contact