"...[Gearhart] gave a stunning performance of what is, in effect, a
five-movement violin concerto [Bernstein's Serenade]. His beautiful tone always
sang out over the orchestra and he was in full command of Bernstein's elaborate
solo part. Its lyrical, dramatic, and virtuosic aspects all received their
due." Eugene Register-Guard, March
7, 2006
" Gearhart gave a stunning performance. His warm tone sang out above the orchestra...the technical challenges of the piece did not faze him in the least.[Corigliano, The Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra]" Eugene Register Guard,
April 26, 2004
"The Oregon String Quartet...captures all the facets of this music,
enriching it with tonal warmth and rhythmic vitality...Gearhart and Steinhardt
are all heart...this disc is irresistible." Fanfare,
September/October 2002
"...MUSICAL HEAVEN: OREGON STRING QUARTET...you will adore William Grant
Still's 1960 string quartet, especially in a performance as sumptuously voiced
and stunningly engineered as this...the nine-minute Pastorela, the first of three
pieces for violin and piano [was] played with the utmost seductive cool by the
sweet-toned and tonally beguiling Fritz Gearhart..." The
Strad, August 2002
"Gearhart and Owings have been performing together since 1989. On the basis
of what I am hearing here, violinist Fritz Gearhart is a treasure whose value the
wider public has yet to discover. His clear, communicative tone conveys
Casadesus's shades of light and darkness, and his temperament doesn't shortchange
the music's emotions...John Owings plays brightly and is up to the technical
challenges that Casadesus set. Together, Gearhart and Owings have a true musical
partnership. One needs no less when playing the violin works of a master
pianist!...this CD, so musically satisfying, is an audiophile treat as well. This
gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me." Fanfare,
January/February 2002
"Violinist Fritz Gearhart...plays with lovely tone and lots of pizzazz, ably
partnered in the very demanding piano parts by John Owings. Koch's sonic are
bright, clear, and realistic...[the music] is beautifully made (particularly in
these excellent performances) very enjoyable indeed. [Casadesus: Complete Works
for Violin, Koch 7528] " American Record Guide,
November/December, 2001
"Fritz Gearhart's warm, almost viola-like sonority, rock-solid technical
prowess, and unquestionable sympathy for these scores is seconded by John Owings'
supple and authoritative piano work...Violin fans looking to explore the
instrument's lesser-known repertoire will do well acquiring this beautifully
engineered release. [Casadesus: Complete Works for Violin, Koch 7528] Artistic
Quality=10, Sound Quality=10." Classics Today, October,
2001
"...[the] show's highlight was Fritz Gearhart and Victor Steinhardt's
vigorous, red-blooded performance of Maurice Ravel's 1927 Violin Sonata, which
brought out the piece's bules hues while avoiding excessive perfumery."
Eugene Weekly, August 17, 2000
"...a sizzling performance of Ravel's bluesy violin sonata..."
The Wall Street Journal, Thursday, August 24,
2000
"...The Program ended with a superb performance of Maurice Ravel's Sonata
for Violin and Piano, played by Gearhart and Victor Steinhardt. This was virtuoso
music-making of the highest order, always at the service of the
music...Gearhart's performance was stunning, and Steinhardt collaborated
beautifully. It was an exciting conclusion to a rewarding evening."
Eugene Register-Guard, Friday, August 11,
2000
"When the latest batch of recordings arrives from Tenafly, I am sure most of
Fanfare's staff sometimes wonders, "Why me?" (or at least I do). Well here, amid
dismal vocal recitals by people who cannot sing, singing music not worth singing,
and music made by balloon and other horrors, is a completely recommendable
release...Throughout the entire recital, Porter's exquisite craftsmanship in
writing for his chosen instruments charms the ear. There isn't a misplaced or
poorly written note anywhere. His champions, Fritz Gearhart and John Owings, do
him proud and are given recorded sound worthy of their efforts. Although most
unexpected this gets the highest recommendation."
Fanfare, September/October 1999, Vol. 23, No.
1
"Fritz Geahart is a persuasive advocate of the music. His intonation is
impeccable, even in passages where the music toys playfully around a change of
key, and he has a large dymnamic range at his disposal. The quiet moments are
especially attractive, his instrument singing with a beautiful tone quality even
in hushed passages. In John Owings he has a fine partner, Porter often giving the
pianist an independent role which is here meticulously balanced with the
violin...[the disc] is of significant interest and well worth hearing."
The Strad, Vol.110 No. 1314, October,
1999
"... pianist John Owings and violinist Fritz Gearhart gave a supple and
imaginative account of a sweetly modal Hommage a Chausson [Casadesus Centennial
Concert, Weill Hall at Carnegie, September 22nd, 1999]"
The New York Times, September 24,
1999
"Gearhart's clean, incisive bowing and lustrously intense violin tone proved
an unmitigated delight...clear, unpretentious, nonsentimental directness and
simplicity. This was a superlative evening of musicmaking-a real pleasure! [Greig
Sonatas, Weill Hall, January 12, 1999]" New York Concert
Review, Summer 1999, Vol. 6, No. 2
"Why the music of Quincy Porter (1897-1966) is not performed with any
frequency is a mystery. Fritz Gearhart, a magnificent young violinist, goes a
long way to remedying that situation... Mr. Gearhart is an exceptionally lyrical
and intelligent player whose warm, burnished tone complements perfectly his suave
yet purposeful phrasing. He finds plenty of color even in piano passages. There's
an earnestness about his musical outlook that migrates into his sound without
degenerating into the overbearing. The shrill and athletic brilliance of so many
of today's superstar virtuosos is anathema to him."
American Record Guide, Vol 62, No. 5,
September/October 1999
"There would appear to be no good reason why these attractive, accessible
and by no means unoriginal works for violin and piano, spanning much of the
creative career of an acknowledged composer (1919 through 1963) remain
unpublished...the warmly expressive E minor Sonata (1926) and the Variations
(written for Oskar Shumsky in 1963, in a more astringent, less Romantic but no
less direct and communicative style) have a real depth and passion, and a
full-blooded strength of purpose. Highly recommendable."
Records
International, July 26, 1999
"The musicians are totally inside the music. Just listen to Gearhart playing
at about 4:30 into the Andante of the Sonata from 1926. It makes me almost run
out of breath because he sounds like he is holding that note, exploring its
possibilities as if he was holding his breath, too. Owing' piano playing has a
liquid touch to the keys. This is emotional playing, no doubt, but not overboard.
The recorded sound is just right. This is the sleeper of the year. Thumbs up,
Roger, wherever you are." Classical Net, June 19,
1999
"Every single piece here is of some merit. In fact, I'll venture beyond that
evaluation by opining that the Sonata in E Minor is a minor masterpiece. The same
might also be said for the Four Pieces for Violin and Piano...Violinist Gearhart
is attuned to every nuance in the score, every turn in emotional expressivity,
every virtuosic challenge--and there are plenty here. Pianist Owings is similarly
alert to the demands...The [program] notes provided by the two performers are
insightful and the sound is excellent. Highly recommended."
Classics@Cosmik,March
1999
"Mr. Gearhart's concentration and involvement...brings out surely everything
this fine music has to offer. Fritz Gearhart, like Quincy Porter, is one of
America's treasures, as anyone who has heard his previous CDs will attest. He is
a violinist of formidable technical skill, masterful phrasing, and total
commitment. Particularly astonishing is his sense of tone color, which makes a
perfect marriage with the iridescent harmonies of Porter's music. This is no
throwaway, make-work recording: It is first-class chamber music played by
first-class artists."Bill Parker, NetRadio, March, 29
1999
"Chamber Players are excellent at Luzerne Festival...[the
performers] were excellent, darkly dramatic and emotional. Gearhart led with
vigor throughout." Schenectady Gazette, July 22,
1998
"...The concert ended with one of the great masterpieces of chamber
music: Cesar Franck's Piano Quintet in F Minor...a wonderfully dramatic
performance...This was one of a string of memorable performances in this
series." Albany Times Union, July 22,
1998
"...a duo partnership easily up to the challenge. Fritz Gearhart is
a bold assertive player with plenty of variety of tone and colour and an obvious
affinity for these works...convincingly done. [Still's 'Mother and Child"] is
beautifully controlled yet voluptuous, Gearhart sustaining long, flowing lines
without ever losing their structure. The third movement demonstrates a compelling
sense of rhythm. Gearhart is a powerful exponent...this disc is a welcome
addition to the catalogue." Strad, May
1997
"The Arman Ensemble gives worthy
performances, the sound is clear and full-bodied , and the notes useful... it
shows a hitherto unknown aspect of a composer who deserves to be taken seriously.
I enjoyed all of it, the rapt, religious slow movements in particular. Attractive
music, well made and proficiently executed." Fanfare
Magazine, March/April 1997, Volume 20, Number 4
"Performances and recorded sound are richly persuasive and con amore.
What more could you want?" American Record Guide,
Vol. 60, No. 3 May/June 1997
"[Music of
Robert Fuchs: Centaur Records CRC 2278] ...the performances are deeply committed
and wholly convincing. These are well-recorded, well-played, earnest, and tonally
attractive performances...Recommended." Fanfare Magazine,
September/October 1996, Vol. 20, No. 1
"...yet another outstanding guest artist bringing the crowd to its
feet. Turbulent or whimsical; as in Lalo's Symphony Espagnole which showcased the
virtuosic talents of violinist Fritz Gearhart. It was an effortless, dazzling
performance from the passions of the first movement to the frenetic, bravura
finale." Hendersonville Times-News, March 19,
1996
"...the timing of events is faultless, both
violinist and pianist are outstanding." American Record
Guide, September/October 1996
"I hadn't
heard young violinist Fritz Gearhart before, although he's been around a while on
records and radio. I see (hear) I've been missing something! What sensitive,
intelligent playing, illuminating and making precious four outstanding pieces for
violin and piano by American composers--part of a series of CDs from Koch
showcasing Americana...Gearhart's committed playing, which takes every moment of
these works seriously, makes them all sound like masterpieces while your're under
his spell...this is the trademark of a special artist. The album is produced by
Grammy winner Michael
Fine ." Classical Music Preview, Orbis Internet,
June 6, 1996
". . .tonally, technically
and musically, this was a performance long to be remembered."
Raleigh News and Observer, April 1, 1995
"The Ravel [Sonata for Violin and Cello], realized by
Fritz Gearhart and Leonid Zilper, was, to put it briefly, a tour de force: Such
flawless, effortless playing, and such élan, made for a memorable musical
experience." Raleigh Spectator Magazine, July
7-July-14, 1994
"Playing with what seemed the
utmost ease, the violinist showed off all the tools of his trade - beautiful
portamenti, lovely trills and a solidly centered attack--a visceral performance
of an intense composer's work. A solo sonata by Eugene Ysaye followed,
brilliantly played and skillfully employed. . .These days, when one is so often
tempted to strangle a given soloist for his or her "prissy" approach to
music, it was indeed refreshing to encounter not one but two performers who just
get up there and do it--and beautifully, too. BRAVO!"
Raleigh Spectator Magazine, April 9, 1992
"Gearhart displayed breathtaking technique and
sensitivity to the music...superb technique with a blazing performance. Overall,
the performance was passionate and intense and showed off the excellent technique
of both performers [pianist Paul Tardif]. . ." Raleigh
Independent, April 1-7, 1992
GEARHART'S MAGIC
VIOLIN HIGHLIGHTS CONCERT IN PARK
". . .the level of artistry soared
when Gearhart took center stage as soloist. Gearhart's technique and intonation
were excellent. . .beautifully supported ariness of the musical line, the sure
sense of purpose and destination as that line evolved, the deft turns of phrase,
and the control of tonal coloration which shifted imperceptibly. . ."
Buffalo News, July 22, 1991
". . .the performance of the Ravel [trio for violin, cello and piano] was
the highlight,. . . it was incomparable" Herald-Sun,
Durham, NC, June 28, 1993
". .
.Gearhart's performance was brilliant in every respect, from the sustained
lyricism of the first movement to the ironic close of the final variation
[Hindemith Sonata for Solo Violin Op. 30 #1]. . .His technical wizardry, coupled
with his keen sense of phrasing and articulation, made it truly memorable. These
two excellent performers [pianist John Owings] achieved a level of communication
remarkable to witness. . ." Buffalo News, November
12, 1989
". . .irrepressible energy and
unflagging good taste" Los Angeles Times, January
14, 1992
". . .Rich programming, flawless
technique and ardent musicianship...a ray of light: a sweet, soaring violin solo
from Gearhart." The Oregonian, January 15,
1992
