|
 |
Reviews |
What the critics say...
“I loved every minute of this fine release. It’s accomplished,
sophisticated, and filled with the sheer joy of music-making.”
[Souvenirs: Music of Paul Schoenfield]
—American Record Guide
“Only a great performance can convince a listener that a new piece is worth hearing. You did it.”
—Paul Schoenfield
“It would be hard to imagine finer performances of these
works.” [Aaron Copland: The Complete Works for Violin and
Piano]
—American Record Guide
“The playing is splendid. Opus Two is widely acclaimed for its tone,
style, and polish.”
—Strings Magazine
“Their ensemble bears witness to their long collaboration in its
unanimity of style and spirit, its exemplary balance and close rapport.
Technically, they have complete command of their instruments.
Terwilliger’s tone is remarkably pure, resonant, even and full, with a
lovely radiance in the high register... Cooperstock’s control of touch
and dynamics enables him to give substance to Copland’s often very
sparse writing, to blend or contrast with the violin sound... [Re:
Opus Two’s Copland recording for Azica Records] the playing is splendid,
the sound excellent.”
—Edith Eisler, New York Concert Review
“An excellent duo. They clearly have a strong affinity and
understanding for this music; they have performed it widely and have
made an excellent recording on Azica Records. Their instrumental
command, ensemble, and balance are admirable.”
—Strings Magazine
“Violinist William Terwilliger played with supreme tenderness and
finely judged control and was partnered with assurance and sensitivity
by Andrew Cooperstock. Two early preludes, full of abject Romanticism,
were beautifully drawn, while the demanding 1943 Sonata was brilliantly
coloured and intense. The late Duo was equally fine, lyrical and
affecting. Copland’s lithe and virtuosic arrangements from Billy the Kid
and Rodeo brought the concert to a boisterous close, Terwilliger playing
with nimble-fingered flair.”
—The Strad
“...divine phrases, impelling rhythm, elastic ensemble and stunning
sounds”
—Free Times (Columbia, SC)
“A superior caliber of craftsmanship... The [dance] episodes
displayed compelling rhythmic force and were performed colorfully by the
artists... Graceful musicianship.”
—The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
“These musicians do a wonderful job of expressing themselves,
enjoying the opportunity to make sounds that are truly beautiful and
communicating with one another through the music.” [Chamber
Music of Lowell Liebermann]
—American Record Guide
“A duo in great demand worldwide.”
—The Sunday Mail (Brisbane, Australia)
“The playing of William Terwilliger and Andrew Cooperstock was
impeccable throughout.”
—Townsville Bulletin (Australia)
“Terwilliger and Cooperstock offer utterly compelling performances
of Copland’s music for violin and piano, full of tenderness and
sensitivity in slower passages, and vigor and buoyancy in faster ones.
They are equally at home with the early romantic preludes of 1919 and
1921 as they are with the jazziness of the Two Pieces (1926), the
eloquent nobility of the Sonata (1943), and the nostalgia and wit of the
Duo (1977).”
—Howard Pollack, author of
Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man
“This playing is a partnership of a high order. The recording
quality is excellent, well balanced and clean and captures well the
detail of these elegant performances.”
—The State (Columbia, SC)
“...an excellent disc. From the light-hearted music of the ballets,
Rodeo and Billy the Kid, to the serious Violin Sonata, this American duo
are totally inside the music. The virtuoso passages possess enviable
brilliance. It is the only disc to offer all of Copland’s violin music,
and the sound quality is very good.”
—The Yorkshire Post (U.K.)
|
|
|
