2012 is going to be a significant year for Metropolis violinist Sean Lee, with five new album releases with his name on them. Most notable is a surprise hit called The Juilliard Sessions, a new series of EPs in partnership between EMI Classics and The Juilliard School aiming to introduce promising young musicians. Sean, along with fellow Juilliard alumni Paul Appleby (tenor) and Conrad Tao (piano), each have the inaugural releases available exclusively on iTunes, after being selected through a rigorous judging process.
These three albums are also part of a collection of digital-only releases called Mastered for iTunes, described as a unique opportunity to “experience classical music as the artist and sound engineer intended… specially tuned for higher fidelity sound on your computer, stereo, and all Apple devices.” Sean’s album features Sonata for Violin and Piano in Eb Major by Richard Strauss and he is joined by pianist (and fellow Juilliard classmate) Sean Chen. And this week, his album is receiving some front page exposure in the iTunes Store, and is currently in the top 30 classical bestsellers. On March 12 (8pm at Paul Recital Hall NYC), Juilliard and EMI will celebrate with a free public concert, featuring Sean, Paul, and Conrad performing selections from their new albums. Here are excerpts from the new recording:
[wpaudio url=“http://metropolisensemble.org/media/slee_mov1.mp3” text=“Sean Lee - Sonata for Violin and Piano (I. Allegro non troppo)” dl=“0”] [wpaudio url=“http://metropolisensemble.org/media/slee_mov2.mp3” text=“Sean Lee - Sonata for Violin and Piano (II. Improvisation)” dl=“0”] [wpaudio url=“http://metropolisensemble.org/media/slee_mov3.mp3” text=“Sean Lee - Sonata for Violin and Piano (III. Finale)” dl=“0”] Purchase The Juilliard Sessions on iTunes now…
Sean sat down with Metropolis’s own Armistead Booker to discuss the story behind the recording process and upcoming concerts. * * *
Armistead Booker: What draws you to the music of Richard Strauss? You recently played “Morgen” at Metropolis Ensemble’s Love Letter to Haiti concert in 2010.
Sean Lee: The fun thing about recording Sonata for Violin and Piano in Eb Major was knowing that he wrote this work when he was my age! Although it is an early work of his, it already has the wonderful, adventurous harmonic language that is so characteristic of him. I love the way his music takes the listener on a real journey: from the most intimate moments to glorious peaks. Definitely inspires my imagination!
AB: Tell me about your collaboration with Sean Chen for this recording. How do you two know each other and what did he bring to the recording?
SL: The first question that always comes up when programming the Strauss Sonata on a recital is “who is the pianist going to be?.” The piano part for this work is extremely difficult, and even the most skilled, artistic violinist simply cannot give a successful performance of this piece without an excellent pianist! After days and days of contemplating, I heard a live recording of Sean Chen performing this piece with a friend of mine, and was quickly convinced that I wanted to ask him to collaborate with me on this project. I was so attracted to the clarity and beauty that he brings to his part… he is able to play it with such ease! I’ve heard horror stories about musicians being so protective of their best in the recording studio that they simply cannot agree on which “takes” to choose. I was lucky to be able to simply focus on capturing my own best in the studio, and trust that whenever I’m at my best, Sean Chen was right there with me, always sounding great.
AB: You’ve had several recording sessions this year: as concertmaster for Metropolis Ensemble (new albums with Timo Andres and Vivian Fung), accompanying The Roots (their new Undun album), and leading an ensemble featuring violinist Itzhak Perlman and cantor Itche Meir Helfgot (being released soon), and now with EMI. What distinguished this solo session from the others? What was your favorite or most challenging part of the process?
SL: This year has marked my first time doing any kind of recording for commercial release, and it is funny that within a span of four months, I ended up being a part of all of these recordings in the midst of my busy performing schedule! My session with EMI was actually the first one, so I honestly didn’t know much at all about what to expect going into it. Being the featured soloist on this album, I wanted this release to be representative of me as an individual artist, and purposely did not listen to any other recordings of the piece. It was almost a kind of soul-searching process leading up to the studio session! It was a very different experience compared to the other albums I recorded for, in which my goal was to give my absolute best in achieving and serving the vision of Timo and Vivian, Mr. Perlman, and The Roots.
AB: What can the audience expect at your upcoming Juilliard album release concert on March 12?
SL: One of the most important things Mr. Perlman has instilled into my artistic process during my years of studying with him at Juilliard is constant spontaneity. When I play any concert, I do my best to shut down any memory of past performances and make music in the moment with a fresh perspective! So on March 12, I may play a performance similar to my recording (or perhaps not so similar!), but it definitely won’t be an exact recreation.
AB: What are you looking forward to most in 2012?
SL: I really cannot wait for the release of our new Metropolis Ensemble albums featuring music by Vivian Fung and Timo Andres! Also, I am about to start a residency at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and looking forward to performing with such fantastic artists. As for the rest of my performances, they are really taking me around the world, so please check out my website or Facebook to keep up with what I’m up to!