piano music by vincent persichetti
(2018)
Centaur 3632
“[Silberstein] clearly loves and respects the music, and … pull[s] it off magnificently.”
“[Silberstein] plays with utmost sensitivity throughout. … Definitely worth acquiring.”
“I can’t imagine this music played with greater sympathy. … [T]his new release … is a treasure trove.”
Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987) was one of the most respected composers and composition teachers of the 20th century. Among his over 150 published works are nine symphonies, numerous pieces for symphonic band, an opera, several large-scale choral works, and many chamber and solo pieces.
Persichetti’s piano output ranges from delicate miniatures suitable for young musicians to large-scale sonatas requiring virtuoso technique and mature musicianship.
This recording collects all the non-sonata piano pieces Persichetti wrote in the first half of his career (1929-1954). The 16 pieces in his Poems for Piano each take their inspiration from a single line of poetry and present a vivid array of moods. His six Sonatinas offer a charming entry point into Persichetti’s whimsical, approachable musical language. The Little Piano Book, Serenade No. 7, and Parades evoke recollections of childhood; Persichetti later used melodies from these pieces in his opera The Sibyl.