Album Notes

St. Paul, Minnesota native Steven Rosen joined the Cincinnati Symphony in 1982. He was previously a member of both the Netherlands Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Israel Chamber Orchestra. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and is a former principal violist and soloist with the Toledo Symphony. He has participated in the Blossom and Aspen music festivals. Stevens' studies were with Abraham Skernick, Martha Katz, Robert Vernon, Victor Lieberman and Salvatore Venitelli. Steven has appeared as soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony.
Mr. Rosen is an active solo and chamber player, performing regularly with the CSO Chamber Players, the Taft Museum music series, and solo recitals in the area. He has played Kol Nidre at Temple Beth Adam for High Holidays since the early 80's and has recently released a duo CD "A PINCH OF OY, A DASH OF AHH! A BISSEL KRECTSER A BISSEL KVELLER" with Richard Goering on guitar which includes that masterpiece of Bruch. . He has also recorded for Bay Cities Records as the violist with the Korngold Quartet.

Guitarist Richard Goering was moved to play the guitar after seeing the Beatles first television performances. Two years later, after watching films of Andres Segovia master classes in Santiago de Compostela, he began to study classical guitar.Richard has performed to enthusiastic responses in concert series in New York, New England, and the Midwest and internationally in Spain and Italy. The Corriere della Sera in Rome praised his beautiful sounds [and] elegant and well constructed phrases, while a Courier-Journal critic wrote that, " his guitar is for our time, but it is also for all time."

Slapin-Solomon Viola Duo author: Scott Slapin & Tanya Solomon. What a great idea to arrange some of the best Jewish tunes out there for viola and guitar. The combination is fantastic, and you guys sound great! a mechaye! Mazal tov!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/LeVassor-duo/248614137294?ref=ts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0glIXDHJWwM

About the music
In the subtitle “a bissel krectser, a bissel kveller”, a “krechtser” is a Blues singer, a moaner of sorts and a
“Kveller” could be described as “not the bragging sort, more of a silent “kveller”.
Dance has long been used as an expression of celebration and festivity for the Jewish people. The Bulgar is a Balkan form and one of many such dances. The basic step employs the same footwork pattern as the now more famous Israeli Hora.
The English translation of the lyrics to Erev Shel Shoshanim “An Evening of Roses” are…
An evening of roses; let’s go out to the spice garden; myrrh, spices, and frankincense are as a carpet for your feet.
Night falls slowly; the rose wind blows; come, I will whisper to you a song, quietly, a song of love.
Dawn; the dove is cooing. Your hair is full of dewdrops
Your mouth is like a rose unto the morning I will pick it for myself.

TAGS:Yom Kippur viola and guitar Guitar viola klezmer Israeli Jewish folk classical music spiritual Levassor duo Steven Rosen Primrosen chamber music dance holiday Richard Goering wedding music

Credits
All guitar parts adapted from piano by Richard Goering.
Arrangements on Erev Shel Shoshanim, Heyser Bulgar, Raisins & Almonds, and Dodi Li by Steven Rosen
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Bill Gwynne at Group Effort Studios except for Kol Nidre recorded by
Jay Gilbert at Clear Channel Studios.
Photography, design, and layout by Bill Gwynne