The Elastic Heart of Youth

The Elastic Heart of Youth is a solo piano recital by Bruce Levingston. The album weaves together works from across three centuries — Sibelius, Janáček, Augusta Gross, Debussy, Mozart, Scarlatti, and the title commission, Missy Mazzoli's The Elastic Heart of Youth — united by themes of resilience, lyrical transformation, and inner freedom. The Mazzoli work was commissioned to celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday of author Ron Chernow, its title drawn from Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, and its spirit echoing the youthful vitality heard throughout the program. Together the pieces trace a journey from the natural world (Sibelius, Janáček) through Classical poise (Mozart, Scarlatti) and Impressionist light (Debussy) to a sparkling contemporary close.

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Bruce Levingston, Piano