I recently attended a tremendous piano recital. Dr. Paul Hanson of Richmond, VA performed Boulez Notations, Stockhausen Klavierstuck IX, three Etudes by Ligeti, and Piano Sonata No. 1 of Charles Ives. Paul's poise, stamina, and musicality were amazing.
If you don't know these works, I believe they would all reward your investigation. The Stockhausen is particularly interesting for its approximations of electronic music effects of its day. Paul's program notes refer to its "famous opening, with its multiple repetitions of a single chord" that suggests "the feedback echo effects made possible by the tape recorders of the time."
After hearing this remarkable performance, I got really sad. Paul's talent is so terrific and he must have worked so diligently to be able to present this music with such grace and focus, yet it seems that very few people will ever hear him play it.
In lots of parts of our country, there are so few venues and dates to play, but so much talent. Frequently, famous names from somewhere else dominate most of those venues and dates. Also, few people have much exposure to classical music, and there are so few inexpensive opportunities to hear it.
It would be wonderful if more private individuals would open their own little recital halls. But most of us can't afford to do that. We can seek to use our homes as venues, though.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Granados: The Maiden and the Nightingale
Bloch Blog
A student of mine is working on "The Maiden and the Nightingale" by Enrique Granados. The piece features prominent bird songs towards the end. I have been very interested to notice that each time I hear the piece, I detect more layers of bird-like sounds woven into its overall texture.
I picture the maiden in this piece standing by an open window or on a bacony. Nature is very present in the picture. Beyond the bird sounds, I have also noted little turns and patterns that are heard first in the soprano or alto and are followed shortly thereafter in a lower voice. This seems to be another nature effect. On occasion, I have stood in the middle of a park and focused on the many layers of sound I can hear. Once, I noted the trickling of a stream passing near my feet. Then I noticed a very similar sound coming from another spot in the stream a good distance from where I was standing. The simultaneous and layered perception of similar phenomena is part of what we experience when listening to nature. The staggered turns and trills in this piece suggest that natural occurence to me.
Finally, my student played this piece in studio class last week. Only a couple of students were present, so we all sat on the stage near the piano as we discussed issues with the piece. At one point, as I was trying to address a rhythmic inaccuracy, one of my students chimed in with the correct diagnosis. When that happened, it struck me that some music may be so complex that six or eight ears may be required to figure out what's going in the piece and in the performance.
A student of mine is working on "The Maiden and the Nightingale" by Enrique Granados. The piece features prominent bird songs towards the end. I have been very interested to notice that each time I hear the piece, I detect more layers of bird-like sounds woven into its overall texture.
I picture the maiden in this piece standing by an open window or on a bacony. Nature is very present in the picture. Beyond the bird sounds, I have also noted little turns and patterns that are heard first in the soprano or alto and are followed shortly thereafter in a lower voice. This seems to be another nature effect. On occasion, I have stood in the middle of a park and focused on the many layers of sound I can hear. Once, I noted the trickling of a stream passing near my feet. Then I noticed a very similar sound coming from another spot in the stream a good distance from where I was standing. The simultaneous and layered perception of similar phenomena is part of what we experience when listening to nature. The staggered turns and trills in this piece suggest that natural occurence to me.
Finally, my student played this piece in studio class last week. Only a couple of students were present, so we all sat on the stage near the piano as we discussed issues with the piece. At one point, as I was trying to address a rhythmic inaccuracy, one of my students chimed in with the correct diagnosis. When that happened, it struck me that some music may be so complex that six or eight ears may be required to figure out what's going in the piece and in the performance.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Ernest Bloch: Concerto Grosso I
Bloch Blog
I am playing the 1st, 2nd, and 4th movements of Bloch's Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra and Piano obbligato with the string orchestra at the school where I teach.
It seems like it would be a really good piece to use if many of your string players were not really strong. This is because many of the string parts are doubled in the piano part throughout much of the work.
The piece begins with a bombastic, romantic prelude. There is one tricky passage in the first movement. Between rehearsal numbers 4 and 5, during the five measures of 16th notes, I have found that the shifting of the strong beats between the hands can be a little rhythmically disorienting for the pianist.
The 2nd movement is a dirge that includes nice solos for violin and viola.The 4th movement is a fugue in which a bit of the material from the 1st movement returns.
Another performance issue regarding this piece involves the placement of the piano. I don't know if the conductor's score says anything about this, but it seems to work well to have the piano behind the second violins. In that location, it supports the strings better, and it doesn't interfere with the audience seeing what's going on during the more chamber music-like moments.
I am playing the 1st, 2nd, and 4th movements of Bloch's Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra and Piano obbligato with the string orchestra at the school where I teach.
It seems like it would be a really good piece to use if many of your string players were not really strong. This is because many of the string parts are doubled in the piano part throughout much of the work.
The piece begins with a bombastic, romantic prelude. There is one tricky passage in the first movement. Between rehearsal numbers 4 and 5, during the five measures of 16th notes, I have found that the shifting of the strong beats between the hands can be a little rhythmically disorienting for the pianist.
The 2nd movement is a dirge that includes nice solos for violin and viola.The 4th movement is a fugue in which a bit of the material from the 1st movement returns.
Another performance issue regarding this piece involves the placement of the piano. I don't know if the conductor's score says anything about this, but it seems to work well to have the piano behind the second violins. In that location, it supports the strings better, and it doesn't interfere with the audience seeing what's going on during the more chamber music-like moments.
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