Contributions To Composition
Levin has completed and reconstructed a number of classical works, especially unfinished compositions by Mozart, but also Johann Sebastian Bach.
His completions of several unfinished Mozart works, including the Requiem in D minor and Große Messe in C minor, are considered his most important achievements. In the Mozart Requiem, he reconstructed an Amen fugue from Mozart's own sketches. John Eliot Gardiner commissioned him to write missing orchestral parts to five movements of cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, such as Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe, BWV 162, resulting in other important, though less comprehensive, works. As a performer, he is best known for his work as a piano soloist for Classical-Era concerti, and particularly for his "expert" handling of the works of Mozart. In performance, he is known for attempting to re-create performance practice from the time of the composer, such as improvising cadenzas.
Levin has also composed several works, including the following:
- 2 clarinet sonatas (1961; 1967–68)
- 2 Short Piano Pieces (1966–67)
- Bassoon Sonata (1965–66)
- Woodwind Quintet (1965)
- Piano Quartet (1964–65)
- Piano Sonata (1962)
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