PRESS & REVIEWS
REVIEW IN TEXTURA MAGAZINE
"WINGS could have been titled Portrait, considering how effectively it functions as an overview of composer Rami Levin's chamber output. The hour-long collection features seven appealing works distinguished by high levels of craft. A graduate of Yale and the Universities of California and Chicago, Rami Levin established strong roots in Chicago and achieved much professionally during her time there. "
Notable accomplishments include serving as President of American Women Composers, Midwest, from 1992 to 1993 and as Chair of the Department of Music at Lake Forest College from 1994 to 2005. Fittingly, her album was recorded in 2023 at the University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts, reflecting her deep ties to the city. Levin also has a strong connection to Brazil, where she taught and worked as a composer from 2010 to 2017 before returning to the United States and settling in West Hartford, Connecticut. This varied personal history finds its reflection in her imaginative and diverse musical works, some of which draw inspiration from the places she’s lived. The opening piece, Asas (Wings), exemplifies this connection to place. Written in Brazil, where Levin continues to spend several months each year, the 2015 work is scored for clarinet, violin, and piano. Its movements are titled after, in her words, “the calls of two birds native to Brazil [that] I often hear while composing in my study in Rio de Janeiro,” one of which is the bem-te-vi featured on the album cover. The piece is brought vividly to life by clarinetist Barbara Drapcho (Music Institute of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago), violinist Mathias Tacke (founding member of the Vermeer Quartet), and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang. “Bem-te-vi” enchants with bright, playful calls, exhibiting a Stravinsky-like elegance and lightheartedness, while “Sabiá” alternates between serene and agitated episodes, evoking the calls of various birds. Levin’s compositions are further enhanced by the uniformly excellent performances on the album, which features an impressive roster of musicians, including classical guitarist Denis Azabagic, flutist Eugenia Moliner (Azabagic’s partner in Duo Catavina), harpist Lillian Lau (University of Chicago Department of Music), violist Anthony Devroye (Avalon String Quartet), Quintet Attacca (Ensemble-in-Residence at the Music Institute of Chicago), and soprano Alisa Jordheim. Following Asas (Wings), Azabagic delivers a poignant solo rendition of Saudade (Longing) before the album takes a dramatic turn with Três Canções (Three Songs), a delightful cycle featuring Huang and Jordheim. This playful work sets Portuguese texts written by the seven-year-old daughter of a now-deceased Brazilian friend of Levin’s. Titles such as “Os Macacos Brincalhões” (The Playful Monkeys), “O Pequeno Barco” (The Little Boat), and “Porcos” (Pigs) hint at the irreverent spirit of the songs. While playful in nature, Jordheim imbues the material with immense flair and feeling, supported by Huang’s stellar accompaniment. The album’s other song cycle, Four English Songs, presents a stark contrast. This set of nursery rhymes, accompanied by Moliner (flute), Lau (harp), and Azabagic (guitar), highlights Levin’s playful side while offering stirring renditions of “Sixpence,” “Apple Pie,” “Hey, Diddle Diddle,” and “The House That Jack Built.” Both children and adults can easily imagine themselves captivated by the lively, engaging performances. Among the album’s most intriguing works is Línguas Fraternas (Fraternal Languages), which explores the convergence of distinct musical idioms. In Leste-Oeste (East-West), violist Devroye and pianist Huang juxtapose Afghani musical elements (represented by the viola) with bluesy American ones (represented by the piano), culminating in a harmonious blending of the two. Norte-Sul (North-South) meditates on different expressions of the same idea, contrasting rhythmic patterns that eventually synchronize. Inspired by an eleven-themed coincidence, Reflections of Reflections (11.11.11) features eleven sections, each containing eleven measures set in 11/8 time. While its intricate numerical structure may escape listeners, its graceful counterpoint and Quintet Attacca’s engrossing performance leave a lasting impression. The album’s rhapsodic centerpiece, Caprichosa (Capricious), showcases the exquisite interplay between flutist Moliner and harpist Lau. Ultimately, Wings serves as both a portrait and retrospective of Levin’s career, encompassing works written over a twenty-two-year span. As Levin explains, “The goal of this album is to disseminate definitive interpretations of some of my chamber music, recorded by superb musicians, many of whom I have had the pleasure of working with over the years.” With their exceptional performances, the musicians have done justice to Levin’s compelling material, ensuring that her works resonate with listeners. August 2024 Textura https://www.textura.org/archives/l/levin_wings.htm
REVIEW OF WINGS
IN THE CLASSIC REVIEW
5 Albums Worth Your Listen
"This album showcases chamber works by contemporary composer Rami Levin. The opening trio for clarinet, violin, and piano serves as a prime example of Levin’s style. Cleverly crafted from short motifs, the music remains pleasant and approachable without sacrificing complexity and avoids the pitfalls of overly academic music. It features a variety of interesting instrumental combinations, including voice, winds, strings, harp, and piano. The Acis label’s detailed recording ensures that each part is clearly audible, allowing listeners to appreciate the intricacies of Levin’s compositions."
REVIEW OF WINGS
BY CD HOTLIST
"Blending 20th-century harmonic gestures with charmingly lyrical and programmatic themes, the pieces featured on this album are both enticing and, at times, a bit challenging. Levin spends several months a year in Brazil, and that country’s musical traditions, language, and fauna all played a part in inspiring the music performed here — as did English folk song and the literary pattern of palindromes.
There are songs (including four English folk song settings), a solo work for guitar that explores the uniquely Brazilian musical mood of saudade, a stunningly lovely wind quintet piece, and a haunting and beautiful two-movement work for viola and piano. Even when the harmonies are vinegary and their movement somewhat slippery and sideways, this is all eminently accessible music and it exudes a palpable sweetness and joy throughout."
INTERVIEW BY SONOGRAMA MAGAZINE
A Conversation with Rami Levin
Rami Levin delves into her rich musical upbringing and journey as a composer. She recounts her early exposure to classical music, thanks to her parents' love for WQXR, and her transformative experiences at music school and the High School of Music & Art. Levin shares memories of her father’s cantorial singing, her competitive drive sparked by stories of Mozart, and the influential mentors who shaped her creative path.
ARTICLE IN THE JOURNAL OF THE
INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MUSIC
"Reflections on a Composer’s Trajectory Across Two Hemispheres"
By Rami Levin
Beginning with childhood inspirations and evolving through international studies and professional accomplishments. Levin's vivid recollections of influential mentors, innovative compositions, and creative processes are intertwined with personal anecdotes, making this an inspiring read. Her reflections on mentorship, artistic growth, and the transformative power of music will resonate with readers and aspiring composers alike.