STEVE COWAN plays WEISS, PONCE, LEISNER

Featuring

Steve Cowan
Sylvius Leopold Weiss
Manuel Ponce
David Leisner

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Performer Biography

Steve Cowan, the guitarist on this album, has won first prize at eight international competitions and is a guitar instructor at McGill University.

Composer's Artistic Vision

David Leisner's suite, …empty mind, open heart…, was inspired by quotes from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, as translated by Stephen Mitchell.

Interpretation

For Ponce's Preludio in B Minor, Steve Cowan applied a capotasto on the second fret, following Andrés Segovia's suggestion to soften the guitar's sound.

Composition History

Manuel Ponce's 24 Preludios were originally conceived as student pieces for Andrés Segovia, but were deemed too difficult for that purpose.

Composer Biography

Sylvius Leopold Weiss, a German Baroque musician, was considered one of the greatest lutenists of all time and composed exclusively for the lute.

Compositional Technique

Weiss's Sonata V in G Major is written in the style of a French Suite, characterized by a standardized structure, ornamental embellishment, contrasting tempos, and French dance forms.