10 years ago, I recorded some piano improvisations with weather on my mind. This one is for all us cloud-gazers. And you know what they say about weather ... it always changes ... 

Stream: https://tinyurl.com/TAOClouds

Written and performed by Michael Price
http://www.michaelpricemusic.com

Recorded by at Snap Studios, London
http://www.snapstudios.co.uk/

Mastered by Katie Tavani
https://www.katietavini.co.uk/

Illustration & Animation by Deepesh Patel
https://www.artstation.com/deepeshpatel

The Anatomy of Clouds

The Anatomy Of Clouds

The great success of my "Valses melancoliques" (including the award-winning No. VIII - le desir eternel) encouraged me to continue this musical idea of melancholic valses, resulting in 12 new valses from C minor to B minor, created in a 14 day "composing rush" in April 2013 :-)

Pianist Carlos Marquéz (https://soundcloud.com/cmdigital), whom many of you know for his outstanding piano recordings, was so kind to play some of the "Swans". 
Enjoy his breathtaking performance of this piece!

Carlos played all 10 Valses melancoliques Series I, which you can find on iTunes and many other platforms. Truly can recommend this!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/beneking-10-valses-melancoliques/id600563482

All 12 "Swans" will also be published as an album towards the end of 2013, performed by pianist Danaë Vlasse (https://soundcloud.com/danae-vlasse).
Here is a "Preview" of the first 6 valses: 
https://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/preview-valses-melancoliques

The scores for this series you can find here: http://www.beneking.com/swans
The direct link to the booklet with all scores:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4v1JwJiY6oJVURybWNwbURSLUU/edit?usp=sharing


Valses melancoliques I

Valses Melancoliques II - "The Swans" - No. 3 played by Carlos Márquez www.beneking.com

www.facebook.com/hugarmusic

First single from the debut album of Icelandic band Hugar.

Hugar are Bergur Þórisson & Pétur Jónsson

Other instrumentalists are:
Ólafur Arnalds - Drums
Pétur Björnsson - Violin
Sólveig Vaka Eyþórsdóttir - Violin
Guðbjartur Hákonarson - Viola
Hrafnhildur Marta Guðmundsdóttir - Cello

Cover Photography: Anna Iceland
Other Photography: Ólafur Baldvin Jónsson

Horn

Bach: Lute Suite in G Minor. Played on a harpsichord after Philip Denis of 1674 with the buff stop on the front 8'. 

Pitch a'= 415 Hz
Tuning: Bach 1722

Bach Lute Suite G Minor: Prelude: Dominic Eckersley, Harpsichord

“Final Voyage, Home” is a quiet, cinematic farewell — a gentle piece about arriving at the end of life and finding, improbably and beautifully, that home has been waiting for you all along. The track follows one last walk along a familiar shoreline; as the tide whispers and the light shifts, Wilf — a tuxedo cat who has gone before — pads up and sits at my side. There’s a small, wordless recognition: it’s time. Looking up, a great cruise ship appears on the horizon, bathed in warm, otherworldly light. Onboard are the faces of everyone I’ve loved and lost, and those I’ve loved and kept: a congregation of ordinary saints waiting to welcome me on my final journey.

Musically, the arrangement mirrors that slow step toward acceptance — spare piano and low strings and horns carry the weight, The track is less about drama and more about arrival: a calm, reverent goodbye that feels like a hand being taken. It’s intimate, hopeful and, at its core, grateful.

Final Voyage, Home

Through some bracket fuckery, I somehow managed to brute force my way back into the main NGADM bracket after having technically lost in round 1. Because I've been gifted a second chance, I'm pulling out all the stops and going back to a classic style of mine - big, dramatic orchestra with an east-asian flourish. Overdone? Perhaps a little, but I love how it sounds and it's fun to write.

Here's a fun piece of trivia - the solo string instrument in this song could either be a Chinese Erhu or a Japanese Kokyū depending on your imagination, as they're both bowed string instruments and sound nearly identical. In fact, "kokyū" in Japanese can actually refer to any asian bowed string instrument - so you'd technically be correct either way.

Listen on Newgrounds! https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/1475440

Art by NG artist Cantwister: https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/cantwister/cherry-blossom

Rose Petal

Full concert: https://youtu.be/fglCl7Jn18A

Live Stream / The Sound of Light Tour 2016/17  (Part 1)

With my first concert after many, many years I am starting my tour with this live stream and more intimate and real things to come, we already have the following locations on the list....  if you want me to come to your place and can help with a location I am open to talk :-)

-Ulm
-Aachen
-Cologne
-London
-Rome

Dirk Maassen Live in Concert --- Full Concert on youtube: https://youtu.be/fglCl7Jn18A

Plūsma

A Grain in the Void - Piano day 2018 -Jsolco #pianoday

Performed at The Piano Cloud Live, Sat 16th March 2013.

Like Facebook Page

Oliver Sadie — Rippled Air [Improvisation Live in Concert]

original music: @ascoltadi
piano: Carlos Márquez

image by Luis Argerich
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrargerich/3100004767/

Reflections

Dirk Maassen: Fragile

Classically trained pianist. I enjoy playing not only the traditional repertoire but also pieces from unusual composers.