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“For me, his music is everything,” Mountain View classical guitarist Yuri Liberzon said of the great composer J.S. Bach. “It’s challenging; it’s emotionally expressive; it’s spiritual; there’s architecture in it — It’s like a beautiful building where everything functions as it should,” he said. “It’s one of the best things humans have created.”
Liberzon offers his own interpretation of the master with his new album, “3 Violin Sonatas,” released this month via by Laudable Records and transcribed for guitar by Manuel Barrueco, with whom Liberzon studied at the Peabody Conservatory.
On the new album, Liberzon offers classical guitar versions of Bach’s violin sonatas BWV 1001, 1003 and 1005. The project took around two years to complete, including working with engineer Nahuel Bronzini, who recorded Liberzon’s performances in the Butterfly Church in Pacific Grove. There, the two would work in the evenings to ensure the most pristine acoustics and lack of background noise (a previous attempt at recording at a chapel in Oakland was thwarted by the sounds of the crematorium — an unwelcome and morbid surprise, Liberzon recalled with a laugh).
Because he was playing on a different instrument than the one for which the pieces were originally intended, Liberzon said he flexed his creativity to reimagine how they would sound best on guitar, noting that if Bach were writing for guitar, he no doubt would have added plenty of rich harmonies. He also tried to keep the sustained sound of the violin in his mind.
“If I imagine the note ringing longer, it affects my other musical decisions,” he said. “Adding a singing quality to my playing is very important to me.”
The COVID-19 crisis has impacted all artists, but Liberzon said he’s been able to keep working as a music teacher, both remotely and some in-person lessons from his Los Altos studio. Performing, he said, has definitely been curtailed, although he has done a few livestream concerts.
“3 Violin Sonatas” is available for streaming at major platforms, and digital downloads can be ordered from Liberzon’s website. Physical CDs will be available for ordering soon.
“I think especially in difficult times, music by Bach has a positive impact on people,” he said. “My hope is to get it out to people so they can at least give it a chance.”
Mountain View classical guitarist Yuri Liberzon performs a violin sonata by J.S. Bach.