Gary Philo's Meditation: Homage à Larry Coryell
Recorded at Oktaven Audio by Ryan Streber
December 29, 2023
Daniel Lippel, an exciting soloist and a key member of the International Contemporary Ensemble, plays above, among and alongside his colleagues, fluttering and roaring in works that allude to Mr. Fujikura’s Japanese heritage while also asserting his cosmopolitan style.
"The first thing that hit me and what is important to note straight off is the remarkable classical guitar performances by Daniel Lippel. He has a very beautiful tone, righteous phrasings and a kind of transcendent way of sounding his parts. I sometimes while listening forget it is even a guitar, it is so musically right, the technique so solidly put in the service of the music itself."
"Lippel manages this quite well. “Aufenthalt” storms angrily, “Die Post” dances jauntily (but doesn’t fail to catch the note of despair in poet Wilhelm Müller’s lonely lover), and “Ständchen”is simply irresistible. Lippel’s is a strong performance that will reward the listener."
Guitarist Daniel Lippel, called an “exciting soloist” (New York Times), “precise and sensitive” (Boston Globe) has carved out a unique and diverse career that ranges through solo and chamber music performances, innovative commissioning and recording projects, and performances in diverse contexts. He has premiered numerous new solo and chamber works, many written for him, recording several on the independent label he co-founded and directs, New Focus Recordings. Lippel has been a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) since 2006, recently joined new music ensemble counter)induction in 2019, and was a founding member of new music quartet Flexible Music during its active period from 2003-2015. He has also been a guest with many other ensembles including the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, New York City Ballet, New York New Music Ensemble, New York City Opera, Ensemble Klang, Either/Or Ensemble, Dinosaur Annex, Wavefield Ensemble, Wet Ink Ensemble, and Ensemble Dal Niente. Recent performance highlights include recitals at Le Poisson Rouge (NYC), the Sinus Ton Festival (Germany), National University of Colombia in Bogota, Lawrence University (Wisconsin), and the New York Classical Guitar Society's Salon Series, and chamber performances on the Ultima Festival (Norway), Dutch National Opera, Macau Music Festival (China), Ottawa Chamber Festival, Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Ojai Festival, Sydney Festival, and at Teatro Amazonas (Manaus, Brasil), Sibelius Academy (Finland), and Zankel and Weill Halls at Carnegie Hall. Lippel has worked closely with many eminent composers including Mario Davidovsky, Ursula Mamlok, John Zorn, George Lewis, and Nils Vigeland.
Read More