Daniel Levy - Clara & Robert Schumann: Piano Works (2017)

Daniel Levy is a pianist with a great interest in philosophy and other subjects, which has led to his writing and teaching about the relationship of music to the human psyche and the sociological benefits of music. One of young Levy's teachers was Vincenzo Scaramuzzo, who also taught Martha Argerich, Mauricio Kagel, and several other well-known musicians. Levy's debut recital included the music of Bach, Chopin, and Schumann, three composers whose works would become pillars of Levy's discography. He went on to study solo and chamber music in Italy, while concertizing in Europe and North and South America. As his music career progressed, he also pursued his interests in other subjects, including comparative religion, music therapy, and aesthetics. These led to side projects such as a series of exhibits in the late 1960s/early 1970s of ancient instruments from around the world; establishing courses in the 1980s-'90s in Venice teaching philosophical and artistic themes; and in the 2010s, using a CymaScope to produce visual patterns in water as musical sound waves pass through it. He is also the author of Euphony - The Sound of Life (1986), Eternal Beauty (1988), and a novel, Echoes of the Wind (2007). Since 2005, he has used Euphony as a basis for an academy and courses taught at several European universities. Levy also directs the academy's Ascona Music Festival, held since 2010. As for his performances, several critics have commented on Levy's thoughtful interpretations and ability to speak to an audience rather than impress it with technical fireworks alone. Levy's recorded work includes a cycle of Schumann's solo music on Nimbus and a series of pieces for music therapy entitled The Seven Tones of Balance, based on Pythagorean theory, on the Syntony label. The bulk of his recordings are on the Edelweiss label and cover concertos by Brahms and Schumann; Grieg's Lyric Pieces; Brahms violin and cello sonatas; Scriabin preludes and etudes; an homage to composers of his Argentinian homeland; Chopin, Bach, Mozart, and more. Edelweiss released a 64-disc, special edition in 2012-2013 to celebrate 25 years of his recording work.