HRAudio.net gives the Kansas City Symphony, Michael Stern, Stephen Powell, and Joyce Yang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Performance and Sonics in their recording of Jonathan Leshnoff’s Symphony No. 3 and Piano Concerto:

“The opening of the [Piano Concerto’s] four movements presents a majestic (and attractively memorable) theme that is developed with increasing energy and dazzling pianism by soloist and orchestra in the manner of a grand romantic concerto before reaching a humorously abrupt ending. The slow movement entitled “Neshama,” Hebrew for “breathing soul”, is the spiritual heart of the concerto in which a hauntingly beautiful melody unfolds over a cushion of soft strings. The final two movements are a brief witty scherzo and a lively energetic finale, both of which allow ample opportunity for the brilliant Joyce Yang to display her virtuosity, which she does with tremendous panache, while Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony provide marvellously alert support. … Like the Piano Concerto Leshnoff’s Symphony No. 3 was a commission by the Kansas City Symphony, this time to commemorate the United States’ entry into World War I in 1917 and it is a powerful and gripping piece cast in three movements. …The wonderful poignancy of the strings cantilena at the start of the piece gradually darkens as the movement proceeds and builds to a dramatic climax whose power is intensified by strokes played on two anvils placed on opposite sides of the stage. The second movement “Gevurah”, meaning ‘strength’, is marked ‘with burning intensity’ and the composer tells us that it is his depiction of war and battles. In this exciting section the musicians of the Kansas City Symphony relish to the full the opportunities given to them by Leshnoff’s imaginative orchestration. The reflective finale, marked ‘Calm’, follows without a pause and it would be impossible to over praise Stephen Powell’s singing of the texts. Powell is possessed of a superbly resonant and firm baritone voice that he uses with great sensitivity to communicate the pathos of the words. Music as fastidiously composed as this warrants a recording of the highest quality and certainly receives it from the Soundmirror team of Dirk Sobotka and Mark Donahue. They have captured with unerring skill both the fine acoustic ambience of the Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the superb playing of the Kansas City Symphony. … I recommend it unreservedly.”

—Graham Williams, HRAudio.net

See the full review on HRAudio.net