Press Acclaim – Marcia Henry Liebenow, violin

 

 

"I chose to work with Marcia because I think she is a fabulous violinist."

                                                                                                Antonio Pompa-Baldi, pianist

                                                                                                Grieg Violin Sonatas, Centaur Records

 

“I was enthralled with Liebenow’s energy and drive.  Playing from memory [Bach Partita No. 3 for Solo Violin], she attacked this piece with a kind of abandon.  I’ve seldom felt so riveted.”

                                                                                                Gary Panetta

                                                                                                Peoria Journal Star

 

“…we heard violinist Marcia Henry Liebenow in a positively sensational performance of Vittorio Monti’s well-known “Czardas,” a virtuoso piece which certainly was put on up-front display here.  Large, luscious tone, slashing attacks, fearsome accuracy and a long measure of gypsy fervor marked this as a very special performance…the violinist won a cheering ovation.”

                                                                                                Erik Eriksson

                                                                                                Northeast Wisconsin Music Review

 

“Henry Cowell’s string trio Seven Paragraphs consists of just over a half-dozen tonally oriented character pieces—brief, but purposeful and chockfull of personality and craft… There were compelling presentations by the intelligently polished Concordia Strong Trio (Marcia Henry on violin, Leslie Perna on viola, Darry Dolezal on cello.  

                                                                                                David Cleary

                                                                                                New Music Connoisseur magazine, New York

 

“The real sugarplum of the evening was the Violin Concerto in C Major, Op. 48 by Dmitri Kabalevsky….  Technically Henry’s performance was splendid, and musically, she was inspired.  In the allegro her playing was full of robust Russian passion.  Her andantino was truly cantabile – her instrument sang the mournful, haunting melody.  The piece concludes with a vivace giocoso, a happy, dancing movement in which Henry’s sweet, lambent artistry is spellbinding.”

                                                                                Stuart White

                                                                                Great Falls Tribune, Montana

 

“Ms. Henry lived up to all expectations the audience might have had, and more, with a brilliant performance of the concerto. Her depth of tone was exceptional and her interpretation of this Romantic work was a delightful musical treat.”  (Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor)

                                                                                                Hobbs Daily News-Sun, New Mexico

 

“Henry’s playing in the third movement sizzled with dark sensuality in the lower strings and brilliance in the high strings.  The fourth movement was heart wrenching in its soulful beauty.  In this movement, Henry achieved a solitary magic that one would not expect from a musician with so many demands on her time and energy other than solo performance….  She could not have possessed the piece any more completely in heart, soul and fingers….”  (Lalo Symphonie Espagnole)         

                                                                                                Philip Marcus

                                                                                                Peoria Times-Observer

 

 

If you crave brilliance and fire in your violinists, Henry certainly can deliver….  She shined particularly brightly in the quick-moving third movement, which is studded with double and quadruple stops.  But if you crave heart in your fiddlers, Henry’s got that, too.  She seemed as taken with the music as the audience, and wrung an almost yearning, romantic effect out of the themes from the quieter, more poetic second movement.”     (Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor)

                                                                                                Gary Panetta

                                                                                                Peoria Journal Star

  

 

“The highlight of the concert was the sensitive and skillful performance by Marcia Henry of Ralph Vaughn William’s “The Lark Ascending.”  Captivating the audience from the opening bars, Marcia Henry showed … why she has national ranking among violin soloists in America. Her technique in bowing the delicate passages was delightful, giving the audience a clear tonal image of a lark in joyful flight.  Bravo!”                             

                                                                                                Emmett Cohagen

                                                                                                Hobbs Daily News-Sun, New Mexico

 

 

“Highlight of the evening came with Jacques Ibert’s Two Interludes for Flute, Violin and Harp. Here the flute part was performed by Betty Lewis who, together with violinist Marcia Henry and harpist Faye Seeman, moved through these two gossamer studies with subtlety and elegant playing.”

                                                                                                Erik Eriksson

                                                                                                Resorter Reporter, Wisconsin

 

 

“Marcia Henry must love chamber music.  She never sounded better than she did March 4 at the first-ever concert of her brand new group, the Concordia String Trio.  Violinist Henry, violist Leslie Perna and cellist Darry Dolezal set a new standard of excellence for chamber music performance in Peoria. They had the telepathic ensemble and bold individual virtuosity that one hopes to hear in this very demanding branch of classical music.  Along with trios by Schubert and Beethoven, they played the world premiere of a new trio written especially for them by American composer Alan Schmitz.  They also played a trio written in 1988 by French composer Max Du Bois.”           

                                                                                                Phil Marcus

                                                                                                Peoria Times-Observer

 

 

“Marcia Henry displayed the tonal beauty and virtuosity which have won her a place on concert stages throughout the United States and in Europe. The selections the two musicians chose were both varied and demanding.  The Leclair D Major Sonata, stately and rather formal, contrasted with the warm, melodic Mozart Sonata in E Minor, K. 304, in which Brandt and Henry communicated marvelously. 

 

Then came the Dvorak Romance in F Minor….  A piece of pure romanticism, it displayed Ms. Henry’s strong bowing.  The Brahms Sonata in A Major was still another example of two artists working together superbly, blending the rich sounds which the piece demands of piano and violin.  The last programmed piece was a short set of Rumanian Folk Dances, arranged by Bela Bartok.  As an encore Henry and Brandt gave a most pleasing rendition of Rachmaninov’s hauntingly melodic Vocalise….”

                                                                                                Mike Kenny

                                                                                                News and Views