#Liszt venezia e napoli

[mikrokosmos]

Liszt - Venezia e Napoli (1861)

In the second “Years of Pilgrimage”, Liszt wrote down his impressions of Italian culture, each piece either inspired by a painting or a poem. Afterward, he wrote three pieces that he added to the end of the suite as “supplemental” material; Venice and Naples. Though interestingly, Liszt had taken these trips through Italy about thirty years prior to the suite’s completion, so we get a lot of reminiscing on old experiences. It makes me think of Wordsworth’s great unfinished autobiographical poem, The Prelude, in which there is a scene where the young Wordsworth is preparing for a trip to the Alps, where others before him had talked about sublime experiences, bordering on religious. He gets to the mountains, and they’re beautiful but he’s disappointed because he does not have the sublime experience. It isn’t until later that night, that he thinks about what he saw more, that he can recognize the majesty of nature, and so he writes the expected “sublime poem” about his experience, but after the fact. It’s interesting to see how memory can distort and reconstruct reality. Similarly the work opens with an evocation of Venice, a really Romanticized idea, dark harmonies playing in a rowing motion, like the waves lapping against the gondola. The melody here is based off of a popular Venetian song at the time, and it is expanded into this atmospheric barcarolle. While it has a lot of sentimentality and ornamentation, it doesn’t get gushy. Here, cultural impressions of Venice can come together in my mind and recreate a gorgeous night in the city. The second piece is a canzone which opens with jabbing trills, knocking you into attention. The melody here comes from Rossini’s opera Otello, and it carries the expected Shakespearian melodrama, the melody is very dark and constantly falling. Through relentless trills and tremolandos, the music is gloomy and pessimistic. Only a light glittering near the end gives a sense of hope. Without pause we are thrown into the tarantella. And, oh man, it sounds exactly as you’d expect a “Liszt tarantella” to sound: finger achingly fast notes, octaves, leaps, and monstrous chords. The tarantella theme breaks away for a sardonic “hero” like theme. The middle has a lovely canzona, before taking us back to the rowdiness of the tarantella. At the end of the stunt, accidentals and rapid chords fling us into a Romantic flourish of an ending, like the last dance at a night long carnevale festival.

Movements:

1. Gondoliera

2. Canzone

3. Tarantella 

Pianist: Lazar Berman

[gnosticinitiation]

5:08                                                                                          

Jorge Bolet plays Liszt "Venezia e Napoli - Gondoliera"

So beautiful

[fedelando]

SUMMER CONCERT, GLI APPUNTAMENTI DEL WEEKEND IN TERRA DI LAVORO

Concerti per pianoforte e chitarra per gli ultimi due appuntamenti di Summer Concert, Itinerari musicali in Terra di lavoro, a cura dell’Associazione Anna Jervolino e dall’Orchestra da Camera di Caserta, sotto la direzione artistica del M. Antonino Cascio.

Chiudono la rassegna sabato 18 settembre (ore 20,00) al convento di san Francesco di Carinola, per la sezione Pocket orchestra il duo pianistico Sena Fini & Pietro Giorgini con un repertorio dedicato alle musiche di Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Gershwin,  Rachmaninov, Moszkowski

Mentre domenica 19 settembre (ore 11) presso il Museo archeologico di Teano per la sezione Guitar Festival – Alma latina, il clarinetto di Mauro Caturano e la chitarra di Maria Giovanna Siciliano Iengo del Dual Duo faranno risuonare le musiche di Astor Piazzolla, Ruperto Chapì, Manuel de Falla. E ancora domenica sera alle 20, invece, presso il   Convento di S. Francesco-Casanova di Carinola, per la sezione Piano Festival, Marco Ciampi al pianoforte eseguirà musiche di Liszt e Rachmaninov.              

La rassegna a cura dell’Associazione Anna Jervolino e dell’Orchestra da Camera di Caserta, con la direzione artistica del M. Antonino Cascio,  realizzata con il contributo del Mic – Direzione Generale Spettacolo e dalla Regione Campania ai sensi del DM 27 Luglio 2017 e della ex LR 6/2007, fa parte del network culturale nazionale e regionale di Aiam e Mede; si avvale della collaborazione della Direzione Regionale Musei Campania per il Museo archeologico di Teano, dei Comuni di Caiazzo, Teano, Piedimonte Matese e Carinola e di vari organismi culturali: l’Associazione Sidicina Amici del Museo di Teano, Club per l’Unesco di Caserta, Associazioni Monte Carmignano per l’Europa, Gaetano Filangieri e Byblos e del Comitato per il Centenario di Enrico Caruso di Piedimonte Matese.

L’ingresso ai concerti è con prenotazione. Ci si può prenotare inviando una e-mail a info@autunnomusicale.com. Si riceverà una e-mail di risposta contenente il link per effettuare la prenotazione.

GLI ARTISTI

Sena Fini & Pietro Giorgini

Devono la loro formazione pianistica a Giorgio Carmassi e Oxana Yablonskaya e, come duo, a Pierpaolo Maurizzi, al duo pianistico Anthony e Joseph Paratore, nonché a Stanislava Varshavski, Diana Shapiro, Claire Aebersold e Ralph Neiweem. Premiati all’United States International Piano Duo Competition per la migliore interpretazione della musica di Shostakovich, hanno tenuto concerti in Italia, Europa e Usa, ospiti di importanti festival, tra cui il Two Pianos Festival di Chicago ed hanno inciso vari cd per le case discografiche Hog e Lm.

Dual Duo

Composto dal clarinettista Marco Caturano e dalla chitarrista Maria Giovanna Siciliano Iengo, trae ispirazione, per la denominazione, dal dualismo della filosofia platonica: contrapposizione fra realtà corporee (il musicista, l’esecutore e lo strumento) e il mondo delle idee (il suono e l’opera musicale). Dall’esperienza maturata attraverso la collaborazione con grandi personaggi del cinema, del teatro, della musica jazz, nasce il progetto discografico Tango Tales con musiche di Astor Piazzolla, con l’intento di trasporre scenicamente, attraverso i suoni, la musica dell'autore, creando tensioni, emozioni e gesti come due ballerini: la gioia del momento e la tristezza di un tempo lontano. Ospite di importanti istituzioni musicali regionali quali la Società dei Concerti Ravello e il Convivio Armonico di Napoli, il Duo ha riscosso lusinghieri apprezzamenti: “…la chitarrista Maria Giovanna Siciliano Iengo ha suonato con un tocco pieno di delicatezze sofisticate, con una grande varietà di colori, utilizzando le proprie capacità tecniche per una pura ricerca musicale, unendo il pensiero con l’emozione e il virtuosismo con la poesia. Bellezza e profondità di suono, massima chiarezza nel fraseggio, tecnica poderosa ed uno slancio espressivo per il clarinettista-compositore Mauro Caturano…”

Marco Ciampi

Ha studiato con Annamaria Pennella e si è perfezionato con Aldo  Ciccolini, Andrea Lucchesini, Orazio Maione, Michele Marvulli, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Riccardo Risaliti e Paolo Spagnolo. Primo Premio in vari concorsi pianistici nazionali e internazionali, nel 2008 ottiene il primo premio al Concorso Pianistico Internazionale al Melboume Italian Festival ed è stato anche tra i finalisti del Sydney International Piano Competition. Ha tenuto concerti presso importanti sale - International House of Music di Mosca, Carnegie Hall di New York, Seymor Theatre di Sydney,  Sala Felipe Villanueva di Toluca, Teatro La Fenice di Venezia, Teatro Coccia di Novara, e ancora in Francia, Gran Bretagna, Messico, Stati uniti, Germania, Norvegia, Spagna, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Belgio. Ha registrato per Rai 3, Radio ABC Classic, Radio Televisione Serba, Radio Vaticana, Radio Classic Moscow. Ha collaborato con Luis Bacalov, il Quartetto del Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli la Camerata di San Pietroburgo, l’Orchestra di Stato del Messico, la Milli Reasurans Istanbul Chamber Orchestra,  l’Orchestra Philharmonia Mediterranea e la Filharmonia di Istanbul e  nel 2018 ha pubblicato per la rivista Amadeus  un cd con musiche di Rachmaninov. È docente di Pianoforte presso il Conservatorio di Avellino.

LE LOCATION

Il Convento di S. Francesco a Casanova di Carinola, risale al XIII secolo. Fu fondato dai seguaci di Francesco d’Assisi o forse da egli stesso che di sicuro vi si fermò per diverso tempo (lo storico Luca Wadding segnala la presenza del Santo nell’anno 1222). Ancora oggi vi si trova ben conservata la grotta scavata nella roccia che fu giaciglio del Santo. Interamente costruito in muratura di tufo grigio, il Complesso si compone della Chiesa a due navate e del Convento arricchito dal pregevole chiostro.

All’interno della Chiesa spiccano l’arco trionfale a sesto acuto, la monofora sulla parete frontale dell’abside ed un affresco raffigurante l’Annunciazione di Maria.

Il Chiostro presenta una struttura quadrangolare con volte a crociera a sesto acuto che si aprono sulla corte centrale e con affreschi sulle pareti laterali i cui soggetti sono ispirati alla vita di S. Francesco. Notevoli anche gli affreschi del refettorio attribuibili alla scuola giottesca.

Il Museo archeologico di Teano è ospitato all’interno del complesso monumentale tardo gotico detto del “Loggione e Cavallerizza”, appartenuto alla famiglia Marzano, che fu edificato nel XIV secolo nell’area del castello alto medievale ed ebbe funzioni politiche e civili. L’edificio ospita oggi i reperti rinvenuti durante le campagne di scavo dell’abitato e del territorio di Teano, anticamente abitato dalla popolazione italica dei Sidicini, stanziato al confine tra il Lazio meridionale e il territorio dei Sanniti. Il percorso di visita si sviluppa in sette sale, secondo un percorso cronologico e tematico che abbraccia circa tre millenni di storia. Nel Museo sono esposti i reperti provenienti dagli scavi nel centro antico e nel territorio di Teanum Sidicinum, abitato da una popolazione italica parlante l’osco che sviluppò una propria originale cultura figurativa sin dal VI secolo a.C.

I nuclei principali sono costituiti dagli oggetti votivi deposti nei santuari, in particolare dall’area sacra sorta in località Loreto e dal santuario del villaggio di località Fondo Ruozzo, che ha restituito statuette, vasellame, ceramica miniaturistica, ex voto raffiguranti animali e prodotti della terra. La densità e la ricchezza della popolazione sidicina è, inoltre, testimoniata dai corredi funerari delle necropoli sia dei villaggi, sia cittadine, con materiali che vanno dalla fine del VI secolo a.C. alla piena età imperiale romana. Il Museo ospita anche una sezione dedicata agli scavi urbani, tra i quali l’intervento di maggiore respiro è costituito dal recupero del teatro romano: posto in un’area centrale della città, conserva quasi integralmente la cavea e l’edificio scenico con la sua sfarzosa decorazione architettonica e scultorea. Di particolare interesse anche il mosaico con raffigurazione dell’Epifania che costituisce la più antica attestazione di tale tema in Italia su mosaico.

INFO

Segreteria organizzativa

Telefono: 0823361801- 3391702906

E-mail: info@autunnomusicale.com

Facebook: autunnomusicale 

[bereite-dich-zu-leben]

Di, 21. Nov 2017 | 20 Uhr

Philharmonie Berlin, Kammermusiksaal

BACH Konzert für Klavier solo d-Moll BWV 974 (nach einem Oboenkonzert von Alessandro Marcello) | LISZT Sarabande und Chaconne über Themen aus der Oper Almira von G. F. Händel | CHOPIN Grande Polonaise brilliante mit vorangehendem Andante spianato für Klavier Es-Dur op. 22 | BACH-BUSONI Chaconne d-Moll aus der Partita Nr. 2 für Violine solo BWV 1004 in der Bearbeitung für Klavier von Ferruccio Busoni | LISZT Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata aus Années de pélerinage - Deuxiéme année - Italie | LISZT Tarantella g-Moll aus Années de pélerinage - Deuxiéme année - Italie: Zusatz Venezia e Napoli • Mariam Batsashvili

[tmnotizie]

di Antonio De Signoribus

SAN BENEDETTO – “La musica, per dirla con Giovanni Allevi, non è fatta di note corrette, ma di passione, dedizione, intenzione travolgente”. Ecco i due appuntamenti con la grande musica proposti dall’Accademia Malibran dì Altidona. Il primo questa sera, Sala colonna alle 21.15, con il concerto finale dei corsisti master class di pianoforte, condotto dal Maestro Romano Pallottini, docente di pianoforte al Conservatorio National Supérieur de musique di Parigi e al Conservatorio à rayonnement régional di Saint Maur di Parigi. Ingresso libero.

Il secondo domani, Sala Colonna alle 21.15, con un prezioso e poetico “Salotto fin De siècle” con il soprano Silvia Martinelli e Andrea Trovato al pianoforte. Ingresso 10 euro. Per info e prenotazioni: 0734/931855-338/8219079. Al termine delle serate seguirà un brindisi con i pregiati vini della tenuta Cocci Grifoni di Ripatransone.

Silvia Martinelli, ha studiato canto con Margherita Rinaldi, perfezionandosi in seguito con Renata Scotto, Maria Chiara Desderi e Julia Hamari. È stata premiata in numerose competizioni nazionali e internazionali. È stata protagonista in numerose opere e si è esibita in prestigiose sedi sia in Italia che all’estero.

Andrea Trovato, si è diplomato in pianoforte nel 1994 presso il conservatorio “L. Cherubini” di Firenze con il massimo dei voti, lode e menzione d’onore, sotto la guida di Lucia Passaglia; si è poi perfezionato presso l’Accademia di Santa Cecilia a Roma. Conduce una importante attività concertistica che lo ha visto protagonista sia in Italia che all’estero. Insomma, l’Accademia Malibran ospiterà due artisti di fama internazionale. E sarà una serata magica, unica.

“Come nei salotti fine Ottocento, verrà rappresentato un viaggio musicale tra le più belle romanze di quell’epoca”ci dice entusiasta la direttrice dell’Accademia Malibran Rossella Marcantoni. Questo il programma della serata da non perdere.

Gioachino Rossini

(1792-1868)

La promessa (da Soirées musicales)

La Danza (Tarantella) (da Soirées musicales)

Franz Liszt

(1811-1886)

Tarantella (da Venezia e Napoli, Années de Pelerinage) pianoforte solo

Francesco Paolo Tosti

(1846-1916)

L’alba separa dalla luce l’ombra

In van preghi

Sogno

‘A vucchella

Giacomo Puccini

(1858-1924)

Terra e mare

E l’uccellino

Sole e amore (Mattinata)

Ottorino Respighi

(1879-1936)

Notturno per Pianoforte

Pietro Mascagni

(1863-1945)

Serenata

Reynaldo Hahn

(1847-1947)

Da “Venezia”: Chansons en Dialecte Venitin

– Sopra l’acqua indormenzata

– La barcheta

– La biondina in gondoleta

– Primavera

[italianaradio]

GERACE Memorabile concerto della pianista Barbara Boni con i solisti dell’Associazione Musicale “Paolo Savoja”

Nuovo post su italianaradio https://www.italianaradio.it/index.php/gerace-memorabile-concerto-della-pianista-barbara-boni-con-i-solisti-dellassociazione-musicale-paolo-savoja/

GERACE Memorabile concerto della pianista Barbara Boni con i solisti dell’Associazione Musicale “Paolo Savoja”

GERACE Memorabile concerto della pianista Barbara Boni con i solisti dell’Associazione Musicale “Paolo Savoja”

R. & P.

Nella splendida cornice della Chiesa del complesso monumentale di San Francesco di Assisi di Gerace, si è svolto un concerto per pianoforte a cura della pianista Barbara Boni.

Nella prima parte del concerto, la pianista ha magistralmente eseguito composizioni di: Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt , Serge Rachmaninoff.

Barbara Boni, nata a La Spezia, si è diplomata al Conservatorio Musicale di La Spezia in giovanissima età a pieni voti, sotto la guida di Tina Zucchellini, pianista e direttrice dello stesso Conservatorio.

In seguito, si è trasferita a Milano, dove attualmente vive e, oltre alla musica, ha continuato gli studi presso l’Università “L.Bocconi” dove si è laureata in Economica e Commercio.

Ha vinto il primo premio del Concorso Internazionale 2016 Piano Lovers a Milano, sia come solista, sia a quattro mani.

Ha tenuto numerosi concerti sia all’estero a Johannesburg (Sud Africa) presso l’Auckland Park Club, sia in Italia presso gli Amici del Loggione del Teatro alla Scala, al Teatro Filodrammatici, al Conservatorio di Milano, a Casa Verdi a Milano, al Teatro dell’Olivo a Camaiore, a Villa Sandra, alla Villa della Rinchiostra a Carrara, a Villa Bossi, al Centro Artistico Rosetum, BSC (VA).

Nella seconda parte del concerto, sono stati eseguiti brani inediti del compositore geracese Paolo Savoja, alcuni del quali mai eseguiti prima a Gerace, come  il concerto sull’Opera “Un ballo in Maschera” per clarinetto e pianoforte eseguito da Barbara Franco, il “Concerto per corno” eseguito da Alessandro Macrì e poi “L’Addio del Volontario” trascritto per fiati e pianoforte, che ha visto all’opera oltre alla pianista Barbara Bono, anche i quattro solisti geracesi, Barbara Franco, Alessandro e Vincenzo Macrì e Cosimo Ascioti.

Paolo Savoja è un compositore di musica teatrale e sacra.

Figlio di Emanuele, gioielliere, e di Maria Antonietta Manfroce, sorella del compositore Nicola Antonio, nasce a Gerace il 17 agosto 1820 e muore a Napoli il 1897.

Nel 1839, si trasferisce a Napoli, dove inizia gli studi musicali presso il Real Collegio di Musica (che in seguito diventerà il Conservatorio di Musica “S. Pietro a Majella”) sotto i maestri Ruggi, Zingarelli, Donizetti e Mercadante.

A Napoli al Teatro Nuovo, nel 1856 rappresenta la sua prima opera “ Un Maestro di musica e un poeta” un’opera giocosa in tre atti su libretto di Gaetano Miccio.

Dal 1842 al 1858 fu capomusica militare e nel 1861 venne nominato capomusica della Banda della Settima Legione della Guardia Nazionale di Napoli.

Scrisse numerose composizioni per orchestra.

I solisti dell’Associazione Musicale “Paolo Savoja “ di Gerace Sono 4 musicisti geracesi diplomati presso il conservatorio “F.Cilea” di Reggio Calabria, docenti di discipline musicali titolari presso la scuola statale.

Hanno alle spalle una lunga esperienza maturata in ambienti musicali di rilevanza internazionale come: il Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, il Teatro Bellini di Catania,  Il Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, il Teatro Massimo “V.Bellini” di Catania ed altri.

Attualmente svolgono in varie formazioni, intensa attività concertistica esibendosi nelle maggiori città italiane: Venezia, Varese, Roma, Padova, Ferrara ed anche all’estero.

Sono esecutori di strumenti storici iscritti al biennio specialistico presso il dipartimento di Musica Antica dei Conservatori di Cosenza (Barbara Franco e Cosimo Ascioti) , e presso l’Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali “Briccialdi” di Terni (Vincenzo Macrì) .

Grande soddisfazione è stata espressa dal presidente della Fondazione Città di Gerace, Anselmo Scaramuzzino e dal sindaco Giuseppe Pezzimenti, organizzatori della memorabile serata, per l’ottima riuscita della manifestazione seguita da un numeroso pubblico.

R. & P. Nella splendida cornice della Chiesa del complesso monumentale di San Francesco di Assisi di Gerace, si è svolto un concerto per pianoforte a cura della pianista Barbara Boni. Nella prima parte del concerto, la pianista ha magistralmente eseguito composizioni di: Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt , Serge Rachmaninoff. Barbara Boni,

Francesca Cusumano

[quynhchan]

hay

When Mily Balakïrev composed his oriental fantasy Islamey in 1869, it was declared by many to be unplayable. Still, after its premiere by Nikolai Rubinstein, many tried... Alexander Scriabin even crippled his right hand in a fanatical attempt to master it (meaning we have Balakïrev to thank for Scriabin’s switching to composition). Today, Islamey is standard fare at piano competitions, and concert pianists play it faster, louder and cleaner than ever before. And there are more of them out there – a surfeit of fleet-fingered virtuosi, churned out every year by conservatoriums from Beijing to Belfast. But if everyone can play Islamey, what are the pianistic heights to which musicians must aspire? Clearly, it’s not just a matter of technique. That is why we set out in search of pianists who have set the standard with performances that are not only technically, but also musically, exceptional. Rather than choose our favourites, we asked more than 100 leading pianists to name the pianist who has inspired them most. As the answers flowed in, ten masters of the instrument emerged. But one legendary musician outstripped all others (by a healthy margin). If the piano is the king of instruments, this pianist is the king of kings. But who is he? 10. ARTUR SCHNABEL (1882-1951) Who was he? An Austrian pianist who specialised in core German composers and made the first complete recording of the Beethoven sonatas. What makes him great? A commitment to plumbing the intellectual and spiritual depths of a work, while eschewing displays of technical bravura. Essential recordings BEETHOVEN Piano Sonatas Nos 1-32 (Complete) EMI 7637652 SCHUBERT 4 Impromptus, D899; 4 Impromptus, D935; Allegretto in C minor, D915 EMI 5868332 Jonathan Biss On Schnabel’s living sound “If I was asked which pianist I loved the most, I’d never be able to answer -– too many possibilities! But if it’s a question of who has inspired me, that’s easy: Artur Schnabel. My first exposure to his recordings of the Beethoven Sonatas came in my early teens, and quickly led to an obsession with those works which I expect to last for the rest of my life. I could not understand how he could convey so much meaning – spirituality, even – between two notes, or how he managed to produce from this instrument of keys and hammers a sound which was so buoyant, resistant to gravity, alive. Those two aims – to make a sound that lives, and to find music not only in the notes, but around them – are still primary for me, nearly two decades later. When I went to study with Leon Fleisher, I was touched to hear him speak of Schnabel, his own teacher, with the same kind of awe. Fleisher’s own ideas about music are compelling, and he is matchlessly eloquent in expressing them, but it was often that he would simply tell us what Schnabel had told him about this piece or that, in a tone of voice which suggested that there was no greater authority. I like to think I may have learned something through this lineage, and each and every day I try to bring to my music something of the devotion, understanding and, above all, love, which emanates from every note the man played.” Also chosen by András Schiff, Ronald Brautigam, Garrick Ohlsson… 9. Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991) Who was he? A German pianist who focused on the greats of German music and played concerts well into his eighties. What makes him great? Rhythmic inventiveness and a talent for bringing out the lyricism, charm and spontaneity in music, particularly in intimate pieces or passages. Essential recordings LISZT From Années de Pèlerinage: Sposalizio; Il penseroso, Canzonetta del Salvator Rosa; Sonetto 47 del Petrarca; Sonetto 104 del Petrarca, Sonetto 123 del Petrarca. Gondoliera, S162 No 1 (from Venezia e Napoli). Two Legendes for piano, S175 DG 4779374 BEETHOVEN Piano Sonatas Nos 8 in C minor, Op 13 Pathétique; 14 in C sharp minor, Op 27 No 2 Moonlight; 21 in C major, Op 53 Waldstein; 23 in F minor, Op 57 Appassionata DG 4474042 Cyprien Latsaris On Kempff in concert “I first heard Kempff live in Paris when I was about 13 years old and then I bought some Beethoven and Brahms recordings of his. He did not have the greatest pianistic technique, but he was very special. He created some sublime, divine musical moments that transported us towards the heavens. I am sure he would have been just as successful in concert today, because the most important factor for a musician is to have a very special personality, and he had that characteristic. He has also influenced what I do at the piano by getting me to put myself in a second state, a spiritual state, before playing. There are so many recordings of his that I treasure, as Kempff excels in Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert and Bach. But, in particular, I would name the Klavierstücke of Brahms, the Beethoven middle sonatas and Concertos Nos 2 & 4, the Bach transcriptions, and the Schubert Klavierstücke.” Also chosen by Michael Endres, David Fray, Eldar Nebolsin 8. Alfred Brendel (born 1931) Who is he? An Austrian pianist and teacher now based in London, who has recorded four complete sets of the Beethoven sonatas. What makes him great? Rigorous adherence to the score without ever sounding dry or academic, and a knack for finding unexpected moments of humour, particularly in Classical repertoire. Essential recordings BEETHOVEN The Five Piano Concertos Vienna Philharmonic/Rattle Philips 4627812 SCHUBERT Complete impromptus Philips 4560612 Paul Lewis On studying with Brendel “I had lessons with Alfred Brendel in the 1990s, and he has been a great inspiration. He would talk about music and I would think, “Yeah, that really makes sense”. And then he would sit down and demonstrate things, and that’s when the light bulb really went off. The first time I met him was when I was 20 at the Guildhall School of Music. I remember feeling very nervous and intimidated. Seeing the silhouette of the glasses and the hair coming through the hall, I remember thinking, ‘Oh my god, it’s him!’ I played a Haydn sonata for him and it was clear from the very start that he was interested only in the music. That’s all that matters. You may feel worried about yourself but that’s not the important thing because he’s not the least bit worried about anything but what you’re playing. That tallied with the impression I’d had of him before I met him, from his concerts and recordings – that of an incredibly serious-minded musician. It was a great inspiration and privilege to work with him over those years.” Also chosen by Steven Osborne, Imogen Cooper, Till Fellner… 7. Glenn Gould (1932-1982) Who was he? A highly eccentric Canadian pianist who, after a stellar concert career, shunned the stage at the age of 31 to focus on recordings and experimental projects. What makes him great? A prodigious ability to sculpt the multiple lines of polyphonic music, such as Bach’s, with unsurpassed clarity. And a seeming incapacity for technical error. Essential recordings BACH Goldberg Variations, BWV988 (1981 recording) Sony 88697148532 BACH The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2 Sony SM2K52600, Sony SM2K52603 BACH, MOZART, SWEELINCK Schoenberg Salzburg Recital (1959) Sony SMK53474 Pascal Rogé On Gould the recreator “I first heard Gould play rather late, since in my youth at the Paris Conservatory he was completely unknown. None of my colleagues or teachers ever mentioned his name – until in 1966 I met Bruno Monsaingeon, who revealed Gould to me and the French audience through his marvellous documentaries. It is hard to say what makes Gould’s playing so special, since everything in his playing is special. One can mention the touch, the phrasing, the articulation… But most important is the conception, the architecture, the personal and ‘creative’ approach to every single piece he plays. He is a creator, much more than an interpreter: each time you hear a piece played by Gould, you discover the piece for the first time. I always refer to his line: ‘If you are not convinced you can play a piece in a completely new and unique way, don’t play it.’ It’s an extreme affirmation, but so full of truth! A case in point is his two recordings of the Goldberg Variations, an example of Gould’s genius in even being able to ‘re-create’ himself. They are both masterpieces, and his legacy for all musicians of the world. I am always blown away when pianists dare play (or even touch) this piece after Gould. Are they totally unconscious or utterly pretentious? In Bach he is completely unmatched. In fact, I am unable to hear, accept or conceive any other interpretation of Bach than his. I’d like to say he has been an influence on me, but no one is deranged enough to try and imitate Gould’s playing! Still, I remember when I recorded for French TV the complete First Book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. It was a project conceived for him by Monsaingeon, but Gould died before he could film it… And I was the one chosen to ‘replace’ him. Can you imagine the pressure? I think the legacy of Gould for any artist is ‘the freedom of creation’ towards any composer, but at the same time respecting the logic of the music and the spirit of the composer – a very challenging equation!” Also chosen by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Fazil Say, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet 6. Alfred Cortot (1877-1962) Who was he? A French pianist and professor at the Conservatoire de Paris. He was called a “poet of the piano” for his mastery of the lyrical works of Chopin, Schumann and Debussy, producing landmark recordings, and meticulous editions, of their music. What makes him great? A highly personal, subjective style that favours intuition and feeling over precise technique, resulting in performances of lush, transcendent musicality. Essential recordings CHOPIN 24 Preludes, Op 28; Prelude Op 45 in C sharp minor No 25; Prelude Op 28 No 15 in D flat major Raindrop; Berceuse in D flat major, Op 57; Tarantella in A flat major, Op 43; Impromptus Nos 1-4 EMI 3615412 CHOPIN, SCHUMANN Chopin: Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor, Op 35 Marche funèbre; Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op 15; The Prophet Bird Op 82 No 7; Carnaval Op 9 Naxos Historical Great Pianists 8.111327 FRANCK, RAVEL, SAINT-SAËNS Franck: Symphonic Variations for Piano & Orchestra, M46; Ravel: Piano Concerto in D major (for the left hand); Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No 4 in C minor, Op 44; Étude en forme de valse, Op 52 No 6 Naxos Historical Great Pianists 8110613 Stephen Hough On Cortot’s individuality “Cortot is sometimes remembered as the pianist who played lots of wrong notes. This is unfair – not just because he had a dazzling finger technique, but because he never allowed striving for accuracy to distract him from the bigger picture. His mistakes can sometimes be heard even in the first notes of pieces, but I find these fallible moments endearing: the pianist is consumed by spiritual inspiration and oblivious of the physical risks involved. Cortot was a great virtuoso, conscious of the power to excite and thrill that Romantic piano music has, but you never feel manipulated in his musical company. You feel that even his most extravagant interpretative choices come from complete inner honesty; he is not sitting in a spotlight forcing you to look at him, but rather holding a torch, leading you forward to enlightenment. I never tire of hearing his recordings, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann from the 1920s and ’30s. His combination of utter interpretative freedom (sometimes with a touch of eccentricity) and penetrating insight into the composer’s wishes is unique, in my view. There are artists who delight listeners with their wild and daring individuality, and there are others who uncover the written score for us with insight and reverence – but there are few who can do both. Cortot had a vision which saw beyond the academic or the theatrical to some wider horizon of creativity from whence the composers themselves might well have drawn inspiration.” Also chosen by Alfred Brendel, Benjamin Grosvenor, Stanislav Ioudenitch… Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 201 5. Emil Gilels (1916-1985) Who was he? An Odessa-born pianist who moved to Moscow in 1935, becoming, along with Richter, the leading Soviet pianist of his day. He and violinist David Oistrakh were among the first Soviet musicians allowed to concertise in the West. What makes him great? His “golden” sound – an ability to execute the most taxing passages without compromising his burnished tone or depth of feeling. Essential recordings BRAHMS Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor, Op 15; Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat major, Op 83; Fantasies (7 piano pieces), Op 116 Berliner Philharmoniker/Jochum DG Originals 4474462 LISZT, SCHUBERT Piano Sonata in B minor, S178; Piano Sonata No 17 in D major, D850 Sony 88697858242 BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No 28 in A major, Op 101; Piano Sonata No 29 in B flat major, Op 106 Hammerklavier DG Originals 4636392 Cédric Tiberghie On the grandeur of Gilels “Gilels has this mixture of fantastic tone quality and an ability to make everything seem simple when you listen to him. Even when he plays a simple Bach prelude, or the Bach-Siloti Prelude in B minor, you think it’s simple to play, but then you buy the music and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is impossible!’ I first heard Gilels when I was eight or nine – his recording of the Brahms Second Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic. I wasn’t aware it was Gilels – or even a Brahms concerto – just one of my dad’s huge collection of cassette tapes. But it was my favourite music, and still today I think it’s one of the most beautiful recordings ever made of a piano concerto. The quality of tone and line, the inspiration and the beauty of the sound – everything is so perfect. It’s actually quite intimidating when you have to play the concerto yourself. He plays the first movement so slowly, and you think, OK, I’m going to do the same – which is a big mistake because he’s Gilels and you’re not. You need that golden sound Gilels possessed – more than anyone in history – as well as a clear idea of the structure and direction; and for this you need a lifetime of experience. Also, if I compare my hand to his, his was probably twice as heavy as mine. It’s like Oistrakh on the violin, there’s that question of flesh, pure matter creating the sound. If you have extremely thin hands, the quality of tone will probably be clearer than Gilels’. So I don’t try to imitate an artist like him, but I try to keep in my head the grandeur of what he does. It’s something I always try to find, not artificially, but perhaps just to feel. So he’s a model for me in that respect.” Also chosen by Alice Sara Ott, Olli Mustonen, Lars Vogt… 4. Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982) Who was he? A Polish pianist who left Europe after WWI, settling in the US. What makes him great? His interpretations of the music of Chopin, to which he brought a glowing tone and endless variety of phrasing. Essential recordings CHOPIN Nocturnes Nos 1-19 Sony 88697690412 LIVE AT MOSCOW GREAT HALL DVD Medici Arts 3078548 CHOPIN, BRAHMS Chopin: Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor, B43 Op 21; Brahms: Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat major, Op 83 Altara 1021 Roger Woodward on sharing the legacy of Rubinstein “When I was studying at the Chopin National Academy in Warsaw, our class sometimes met Professor Drzewiecki’s illustrious friends, one of whom was Arthur Rubinstein. He played for us and some students had the privilege of playing for him. Everybody in the class knew his recordings, as they were the classical Chopin interpretations that Drzewiecki had taught us. Grace, poise and thorough research were the hallmarks of his art, one that showed mastery but also enormous modesty and, contrary to what some ‘authorities’ had to say, a flawless technique. Rubinstein’s critics, and there were many, tended to forget how thorough he was in researching the repertoire he played. Where others posed and only pretended they had researched their subject, Rubinstein’s performances reeked of integrity. The earliest of Rubinstein’s three complete Mazurka recordings provided a high point for us in our study of Chopin, although for me it was his performances of the Nocturnes that provided the key to all other Chopin. I remain eternally grateful to Rubinstein for his recordings and what he had to say about them. Rubinstein was not blessed with the sheer virtuosity of Rachmaninov or Horowitz, but he developed a mastery of legato cantabile and tempo rubato second to none. This is evident in such miraculous pre-war ‘live’ performances as his historic recording of the Chopin Piano Concertos with Sir John Barbirolli, although his performances of the same with Witold Rowicki were even more beautiful – completely unforgettable. I will never forget his kindness and generosity to our class, and his charm, modesty and scrupulous research. Although I remain a student all my life and continue to listen to his many wonderful recordings, I consider myself fortunate to share such rich experiences with my own students.” Also chosen by Simon Trpceski, Jayson Gillham, Margaret Fingerhut 3. Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997) Who was he? A Russian pianist of German descent who became the USSR’s pre-eminent musician. What makes him great? Rock-solid technique combined with an astonishing variety of sound. Essential recordings THE SOFIA RECITAL Philips 464734 REDISCOVERED: CARNEGIE HALL RECITAL RCA Red Seal 09026 63844-2 PROKOFIEV Piano Sonata No 2 & 9; Visions fugitives Nos 6, 18 Melodiya MELCD1001677 Barry Douglas On the intensity of Richter “I heard Richter play many times in England, France and America and what I loved about him was that he was able to make the piano sound not like a piano – it sounded like an orchestra or sometimes like a choir. Also, anything he did at the instrument always seemed totally right. It didn’t seem like his ideas; it seemed like the only way to do it. Every artist should aim, if they’re serious, to remove themselves from the equation and go to the heart or the essence of the music. Very few artists can do that, but for Richter it was totally natural. He was also a very serious musician: after concerts he’d often decide he needed to practise, and would go home and practise for another two hours. He also insisted that each recital program contain at least one new piece. So his repertoire was vast. I don’t think his studio recordings were that successful: they didn’t really represent him. It’s the live recordings which are amazing. Everyone talks about the Sofia recital from 1958 where he plays Liszt’s Feux Follets and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Still, his recordings of the Beethoven sonatas are also second-to-none, not to mention the Russian repertoire – the little pieces of Tchaikovsky – and Prokofiev, who wrote his Seventh Sonata for him. When I was at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1984 he sent messages to me through others saying how fantastic he thought I was, which was very sweet. I wish I’d had a chance to get to know him better. I will always look up to Richter. A performing artist mustn’t copy, but you can be inspired by the essence of what someone stood for, and that’s what I do with him. I know very deep inside myself I’m trying to grasp what Richter had, which is an amazing, fiery, burning intensity of passion for music – that’s what came across when he played. He was absolutely obsessed, and possessed, by music.” Also chosen by: Howard Shelley, Anna Goldsworthy, Piotr Anderszewski... 2. Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989) Who was he? A Russian-born pianist who left for the West at age 21, where he was described as a “tornado unleashed from the steppes”. Most famous for his performances of Romantic piano repertoire and, surprisingly, Scarlatti, he returned to Russia for a triumphant farewell recital in 1986. What makes him great? Sparkling virtuosity and extraordinary use of tone colour, combined with a talent for thrilling his audience, creating a furore at his live recitals. Essential recordings SCARLATTI Horowitz plays Scarlatti Sony 88697806402 LISZT, CHOPIN, SCHUMANN The London recordings 1932-1936 Archipel Records ARPCD0246 HOROWITZ IN MOSCOW DVD Sony SVD64545 Ingolf Wunder On the god-like gifts of Horowitz “Horowitz combined high-class pianism with a unique taste in music and interpretation. What made him unique was his ability to chisel his feelings and moods out of the structures and harmonic material of the score. I think I first heard Horowitz when I was 14. I was just astonished by his tone and the variety of colours he could produce. And he always played as his hand was built, never betraying his taste and his view of music. He was always himself, and everything he touched became his own. His playing is never mediocre, it either works or it doesn’t. But if it does work, it’s simply god-like – incomparable with anything you’ve ever heard. In a way, Horowitz is the product of a time that produced so many great pianists. I believe the way of thinking and our life has changed since then. Now musicians can go on the Internet and hear almost every recording of any piece; back then they were forced to think for themselves. Small things were given greater importance because it wasn’t possible to go anywhere instantly. It was not necessarily about who can play the fastest or any other competitive aspect, it was more about the music. There are still a few musicians that are like Horowitz and those old greats, and that’s the school we ought to come back to.” Also chosen by: Freddy Kempf, Gerard Willems, Konstantin Scherbakov 1. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) Who was he? A pianist and composer born in Russia, who graduated from the Moscow Conservatorium in the same class as composer Alexander Scriabin. Among his compositions is the Piano Concerto No 2, often voted the most popular piece of classical music of all time. He left Russia in 1917, embarking on a career as a touring pianist in order to support himself and his family. He became a US citizen shortly before his death. What makes him great? An almost superhumanly clean finger technique, which allowed him to maintain clarity even in the knottiest passages. This was partly due to his famously large hands, able to span 12 inches, or a 13th (C1 to A2) on the piano. He also had a beautifully singing tone, likened to that of violinist Fritz Kreisler, permitting him to wring infinite sweetness from a melody. Essential recordings CHOPIN•SCHUMANN Piano Sonata No 2; Ballade No 3, Carnaval Naxos Historical Great Pianists 8.112020 RACHMANINOV Concertos Nos 1-4; Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini RCA 09026616582 BEETHOVEN, GRIEG, SCHUBERT Violin Sonata No 8 in G major, Op 30 No 3; Violin Sonata No 3 in C minor, Op 45; Grand Duo for Violin and Piano in A Major, D574; Fritz Kreisler v Naxos Historical Great Pianists 8.110968 Leslie Howard on the greatest pianist ever to make a record “What’s remarkable about Rachmaninov’s playing is how honest it is. Nothing gets between his playing and his idea of why the piece of music was worth recording. His playing is never cluttered, it’s never fussy and there’s a complete absence of cheap tricks – quite unusual for the time he was recording. I think he’s the greatest pianist of his age and I’m sure he’s the best pianist who ever made a record. Of course, his technique is extraordinary, but the gift of all good technique is that you’re not aware of it when you’re listening to it. If you hear him play Si oiseau j’étais by Henselt, for instance, it sounds like the most charming salon piece. But if you’ve ever sat down to play it, you’ll know perfectly well it’s an absolute terror. Rachmaninov also has a way of dealing with rhythm which makes him instantly recognisable. Sometimes he does it by playing a rhythm that’s not exactly what’s in the score, but it comes out sounding like what should have been in the score. Take his recording with Fritz Kreisler of the Opus 30 No 3 Sonata of Beethoven, for example. You hear every single note and every single note is as important as every other, which is how Beethoven ought to be played, but seldom is. Being a composer, Rachmaninov also possessed a formidable musical mind. He dissected every piece before he put his hands on the keyboard. And he could do that because his compositional skills were so refined. I sometimes think when he plays his own music he’s less careful – almost as if he doesn’t quite think there should be so much fuss made about him. But when you hear how utterly unsloppy, in the emotional sense, his playing of his own music is, it discourages pianists from wallowing in it, as so many of them do. Then, if you want romantic playing he can do that too, and again I think of one of the recordings with Kreisler of the Grieg Sonata No 3. The second movement is heartrendingly marvellous and the way he plays the tune is completely different from the way Kreisler plays it. It makes the piece sound more eventful than it actually is – it’s a cracker of a recording! There’s a reason why Rachmaninov didn’t record more, and that’s because of the strained relations he had with the people at the Victor Talking Machine Company, who thought he was getting too much money for his recordings, and who turned down many of the things he offered to record. For instance, he was going to give a free recording of Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto, as long as they would let him record his orchestral Symphonic Dances, and they refused the offer. The reason why the recording we do have of him playing his Third Concerto is, to many ears, a bit inadequate is because he had to go back and record the first side again four months later. He put cuts in it at the last moment because the producer Charles Connell gave him grief, saying he couldn’t play the piano and couldn’t compose either. In short he made the whole thing deeply unpleasant for Rachmaninov. So we’ve got this Mr Connell to thank for not having the Liszt Sonata, the Hammerklavier Sonata, the Waldstein Sonata, and the Chopin B minor Sonata. Of the recordings we do have, it’s very difficult to choose a favourite, but I absolutely love his recording of Schumann’s Carnaval. I think that’s perfect piano-playing from start to finish.” Also chosen by Stephen Kovacevich, Denis Matsuev, Alexey Yemtsov... Why are there so Many great Russian Pianists? “From the 19th Century there has been very systematic children’s musical education in Russia, which started back with the foundation of the Moscow Imperial Conservatory. Rachmaninov came to study there at the age of 14. He lived at the home of Nikolai Zverev, who had created a boarding school for young students, who were required to practise six hours per day, apart from their school study. [Other boarders with Zverev were Scriabin and Siloti]. That school transformed into the Central Music School in the Soviet era, and the system expanded throughout the country. Today in Russia there is serious musical education for kids starting from when they’re big enough to reach the keys. Vladimir Ashkenazy, Grigory Sokolov and Mikhail Pletnev are products of this rather strict Soviet school. So children study for seven or eight years at a special music school, then at 15 they go to music college for three years. And that’s all before they enrol in the Conservatorium. So if a kid is talented, by the age of 16 they can play basically everything. That means when Russian students come to the Conservatory, they are already professional pianists. They have almost no technical boundaries to overcome, and can just focus on becoming an artist. So it’s not like just having piano lessons with a teacher – it’s systematic and totally free musical education. Geniuses are born everywhere, but only in Russia are they nurtured in this way.” Elena Kuznetsova Dean of piano, Moscow Conservator - See more at: http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/greatest-10-pianists-all-time#sthash.IghNbRez.dpuf