Beautiful and Haunting
Leon Levitch and his family were imprisoned in a concentration camp in Italy during the Second World War. He later came to the United States as a refugee. In the internment camps, he learned how to tune pianos, and this craft was what he used to support himself and his family for more than 40 years. He studied composition with Eric Zeisl, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Roy Harris.The Aria from the Suite for Flute, Harp & String Orchestra is at once wistful and stately, exceptionally beautiful and haunting. Parts of it remind me of the shimmering flute music that Kieslowski uses in the first segment of THE DECALOGUE, if you're familiar with that great film. This Aria has a similar staying power.The entire album is excellent. Mehli Mehta leads the American Youth Symphony and the UCLA Student Chamber Orchestra in plush, accomplished performances. Sheridon Stokes is the fine featured soloist on flute in the Suite. Highly recommended.