Georges Bizet: L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1 & 2, GB 121

Georges Bizet: L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1, GB 121: III. Adagietto (Adagio)

SALES TEXT
Cellist Beatriz Blanco and pianist Federico Bosco follow the success of their first Odradek album with Of Love and War, a sumptuous programme of music by Nadia Boulanger, Richard Strauss, Debussy, Webern, Hindemith and Fauré, featuring mezzo-soprano Solenn’ Lavanant-Linke.

Of Love and War, partly inspired by Eduardo Galeano’s novel Days and Nights of Love and War, draws parallels between the isolation and pent-up passions of wartime and the experiences of the current pandemic. Much of this repertoire was composed around the time of the First World War, but also embraces broader themes of beginnings and endings, night and day, love and loss. 

Nadia Boulanger is celebrated as a teacher of great composers, but was a composer in her own right; her Three Pieces occupy a similar soundworld to that of Debussy, whose Cello Sonata is at the heart of the programme, and Fauré, whose song Les berceaux we hear in an arrangement for cello and piano. There are works by Webern that show us ‘before and after’ his early lessons with Schoenberg: the Zwei Stücke für Cello und Klavier of 1899, written when Webern was only 16, and the Drei Kleine Stücke, Op. 11 and Cello Sonata, both dating from 1914. The album discovers a softer side to Hindemith in his richly Romantic Three Pieces, Op. 8, and the whole recital is framed by glorious songs by Strauss and Debussy, performed by Solenn’ Lavanant-Linke.

13 - GABRIEL FAURE - Les Berceaux From 3 Songs, Op. 23, No. 1

This smooth and calming track is meant to play softly in the background. Soft ambient piano and light spacey pad. Peaceful and soulful, perfect for relaxing, reflecting, work background, spa, yoga or other meditative soundscapes. Contemplate thoughts of life and love.
Full version: https://soundcloud.com/zevweinstein/calm-interlude

Calm Interlude Piano

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Happy autumn lullaby

The title of this album my attempt at translating the Farsi phrase قارچ‌های غربت to English. It comes from the poem "The Sound of Water's Footsteps" by Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri. 

A more literal translation of the phrase would be Mushrooms of "Ghurba", an originally Arabic word that has several meanings, including senses of estrangement, alienation, loneliness, being away for home, and longing.

I composed many of these pieces during and after Israel's 12 day war on Iran in the summer of 2025. Being  an Iranian living abroad for 15 years, I had never felt Ghurba the way I felt it this summer, as I realized more and more that Iranian lives matter to exactly no one.
Ghurba and all its meanings overshadow most of the pieces in this album. 

The music heard on this post is the final track, which is an improv piece with the same title as the album.

In the album art, I tried to depict a mycelial network creeping up the piano and my body, and expanding into the ground, maybe a thread or two reaching the other side of the world where home is.

As Sepehri's poem says "Who cares if sometimes the mushrooms of ghurba start to grow?" 

You are right Sohrab, nobody does...

Nocturne No. 1 in B-Flat Minor - Remember to Forget

Sunday, May 28th
St Mary's Nativity Church (Flushing, NY)
Composer: Max Bruch
Conductor: Jin Soo Lee
Concertmaster: Kae Nakano

03 - Scottish Fantasy For Violin With Orchestra And Harp, Introduction

Du Bist Die Ruh (D. 776; Op. 59, No. 3)  by Franz Schubert
Erika Mädi Jones (soprano)
Panaretos Kyriatzidis (piano)

Du Bist Die Ruh (D. 776; Op. 59, No. 3) by Franz Schubert (Soprano, Erika Mädi Jones)

Chopin may have first dabbled in the world of Impromptus in 1834, but it wasn't until six years after his death that his "Fantaisie Impromptu" hit the streets (and eventually inspired the Tin Pan Alley classic "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows"). His earliest published Impromptu was in A-flat Major, written in 1837, the same year he met the one and only George Sand. Dedicated to Countess de Lobau, one of his fancy-pants pupils, it was published in December.

Fast forward to the summer of 1838, and Chopin's health was in serious decline. In a move that would make anyone question his judgement, he decided to spend the damp Parisian winter on the sunny, fresh-aired island of Majorca (which his friends, who had never been there, assured him was delightful). Spoiler alert: it was not delightful. Terrible weather, shabby accommodations, and a distinct lack of a piano meant that by the time he was diagnosed with TB, things were looking pretty grim. But a piano finally arrived from Paris, and by the end of December, Chopin was well enough to start composing again.

The Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp Major, which was sketched during his unfortunate stay with George on Majorca and completed at her country house in Nohant, has the chill vibes of a nocturne. The opening section has two contrasting melodies, and the central episode is all about a more assertive theme with a dotted-rhythm ostinato in the bass. The big surprise comes at the end, when the opening phrase returns in the unexpected key of F Major, delaying the reappearance of the second theme with some sweeping figurations in the right hand.

Live from the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland, 11th October, 2010. Please comment and share!

Piano: Hamburg Steinway D
Piano Technician: Paul Wade
Recording Engineer: Darby Carroll

My SoundCloud Channel: https://soundcloud.com/archie-chen
Official Website: http://www.archiechen.com
Youtube DIPF https://www.youtube.com/c/PianofestivalIe
Youtube Archie https://www.youtube.com/c/ArchieChenPianist
Festival Website: http://www.pianofestival.ie
Teaching Website: http://www.pianoacademy.ie

Frédéric Chopin Impromptu no. 2 in F sharp major, op. 36

Johannes Brahms 4 Klavierstücke, Op.119

Recorded live with the CSO; Ken Lam, conductor, Yuriy Bekker, solo Violin, MaryAnn McCormick, mezzo-soprano.

MaryAnn McCormick with the CSO

Morgen Op. 27, No. 4 by Richard Strauss

Archie Chen is a concert pianist, creator, and cultural leader whose music spans from the world’s great stages to the quantum unknown. Praised by the Irish Times for his “daring velocity” and “fiery temperament,” he has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Gewandhaus, and beyond — captivating audiences across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

As Executive Director of Holy Names Music Center in Spokane, Archie brings the same artistry and vision he brings to the keyboard: bold, creative, and committed to transformation. His recordings on Sony Classical and Carnegie Artists showcase not just technical brilliance but an alchemist’s touch — turning rhythm into resonance, matter into music.

This page is where it all comes together: live takes, studio sessions, and sound experiments. A space to step inside the frequency and hear music not just as notes, but as energy in motion.