The Sixth Suite Prelude provides a powerful conclusion to the Cello Suites. The Sixth Suite was originally written for the viola pomposa, a five string instrument with added E string above the top A string of the four string cello. Unfortunately, the viola pomposa is not widely produced to play today. Cellists who play the work in the original key on the cello are required to play in the very highest registers of the instrument.

Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.6 in D Major

Franz Liszt must have really been blown away by the cities of Venice and Naples on his travels with Marie d'Agoult, because he ended up composing four pieces named after them: Venezia e Napoli. But apparently, the original four pieces weren't good enough for old Franz, so he went back and revised them until only the last two were left: the Andante placido (aka Gondoliera) and the Tarantelles Napolitaines (aka just plain ol' Tarantella). Then he stuck a sad song called Canzone in between them and voila! The triptych known as Venezia e Napoli was born. It was published as a supplement to Deuxième Année in 1861, so if you want to check it out, you better hit up this recording!

Liszt must have been feeling pretty darn romantic when he composed Gondoliera, because it's based on a love song by Giovanni Battista Peruchini called "La biondina in gondoletta." But unlike the original version, Liszt's revision starts off with a fancy introduction in the key of F-sharp minor. The music sounds all calm and serene, like a peaceful Venetian canal (or at least what I imagine one would sound like). And then, once it hits that F-sharp major chord, it's like BAM! The melody comes in and it's all lovey-dovey and stuff. And let me tell you, it's so sweet and soft, it'll make your teeth hurt. But don't worry, there's some fancy flourishes in there to keep things interesting.

The Canzone that comes after Gondoliera (or "Gondolier's Song") is actually part of a larger piece, and it leads directly into the Tarantella without missing a beat. It's based on a song called "Nessun maggior dolore" from Rossini's opera Otello, which is weird because the opera is set in Venice but it premiered in Naples. Anyway, Liszt messed around with the melody and rhythm a bit, and he also changed the key from G minor to E-flat minor, which makes it sound all dark and moody. It starts off with some creepy tremolo, and then the melody comes in and it's all woe is me. But don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom, because there's some fancy piano stuff in there to keep things interesting. And at the end, the music gets all happy and major-key-y, so it's not a total downer.

The Tarantella is like a firework show on piano. It's based on some themes by a French composer named Guillaume-Louis Cottrau, who lived and worked in Naples. It starts off with a Presto tempo, and the introduction leads you from the E-flat key of the Canzone to the G minor key of the first theme. And let me tell you, this thing is full of energy! The music shifts between different meters, so it's like a never-ending party. Then the second theme comes in, and it's like BAM! Fortissimo! And then the music goes to the relative major key, but it doesn't stay there long because it sidesteps into D-flat major with a funny little passage in contrary motion. And then it's back to G minor, and the first theme returns, and it's like a three-part design or something. And then the music closes in B-flat major, and there's a pause, and then there's a new theme in E-flat major, and it's all lyrical and stuff. And then there's some fancy flourishes and variations, and then it goes to E major, and then to G major, and then there's a coda and it's like WHAM! Prestissimo! And the music is rushing towards the end, and it's all virtuosic and impressive.

I. Gondoliera
II. Canzone
III. Tarantella

Recorded live from Dublin City Gallery - The Hugh Lane on July 27th, 2014 as part of the concert series of the Dublin International Piano Festival & Summer Academy.

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Teaching Website: http://www.pianoacademy.ie

Piano: Bluthner Model 1
Piano Technician: Martin Walsh
Recording Engineer: Darby Carroll
Piano provided by Bluthner UK

Franz Liszt Venezia e Napoli, s. 159

gleam

A collection of 4 deeply emotional songs.

1.Unwanted
2.The only life
3.Heart attack
4.Anxiety

I would love to know where my music takes you. 

stay safe.

Thanks for listening.

Heart attack

Thomas Yu - F. Chopin:  Andante spianato and The Great Polonaise E flat major

Handel's famous «Sarabande» performed on a virtual Spanish Baroque organ using simply the Flautado (Principal) stop. ("Spanish Organ" freely available from: jlmonsite.chez.com/MonSite/Spanish%20Organ.htm).

Handel: Sarabande from Keyboard Suite in D minor, HWV 437 - Organ version (2016.05.09)

A recording from the debut CD "Haydn. Denisov. Cello Concertos". Marcin Zdunik - cello, Jan Stanienda - violin, conductor, Wratislavia Chamber Orchestra

Joseph Haydn - Cello Concerto in C major HobVIIb/1: I Moderato

This upbeat piece, from Jean-Baptiste Lully's « Le bourgeois gentilhomme», caught my ear while watching a movie about a serial killer who left behind a CD with this music on it at the crime scenes. I’ll spare you the details of how this music relates to the murders; but will say that one of the detectives googled the composer's name, and learned that when he conducted his music, he used a staff («baton») to pound out the beat on the floor. During one performance, Lully missed the floor and rammed the staff into his foot instead, which became infected, and he eventually died of gangrene. Ok, gruesome; but, the music is delightful, I think. Performed here on virtual instruments: strings for the first time through, woodwinds (recorders, oboes, and bassoon) the second time, and tutti the third time (with continuo and percussion throughout). Played on a wind controller (Akai EWI USB).

Castle Consort

Lully: Marche pour la Cérémonie des Turcs (2018.01.27)

Georg Böhm's organ masterpiece, "Vater unser im Himmelreich," performed on the just-released Organteq virtual pipe organ.  I am not a keyboard player; all parts were layered in real time on a wind controller (Akai EWI USB), starting with the pedal part and working up. Pitch: A=465; Temperament: Werkmeister III. Registration:

Récit: Cornet V
Grand Orgue: Principal 8', Prestant 4', Doublette 2'
Pédal: Principal 16', Principal 8', Flute 8', Flute 4'

To hear and see a master organist play this (with the same tuning and with similar registration), check out Arjan Breukhoven on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUGm9ABAfP8 Of course, there are many other renditions on YouTube, including some at a slower tempo, preferred by some. To get the full effect of this (and any pipe organ music), I recommend listening through the largest speakers you have, preferably with a subwoofer, or through quality headphones.

Böhm: Vater unser im Himmelreich — Organteq version (2019.11.30)

Antonio Vivaldi's lovely Largo movement from Concerto for flute, oboe, violin, bassoon and basso continuo in G minor (RV 107). Performed here on virtual instruments: recorder (instead of flute), Baroque oboe, Baroque guitar (instead of violin), Baroque bassoon, Flemish harpsichord. Alto recorder, Baroque oboe and bassoon from Wallander Instruments (http://www.wallanderinstruments.com/); Baroque guitar by Eduardo Tarilonte (http://www.samplelibraries.com/); Flemish harpsichord from the Conservatoire Collection by SonicCouture (http://www.soniccouture.com).
~~~~~~~~~~~
La ĉarma dua movado el «Konĉerto por fluto, hobojo, violono, fagoto kaj kontinua baso en g-minora» de Antonio Vivaldi. Interpretita per virtualaj instrumentoj: baroka bekfluto (anstataŭ fluto), baroka hobojo, baroka gitaro (anstataŭ violono), baroka fagoto, kaj flandra (baroka) klaviceno.

Vivaldi: Concerto for flute, oboe, violin, bassoon & BC in Gm, RV 107 - 2. Largo

Solo Violin: Ainhoa Galvany
Violins: Laura Torcal & Raquel Paleo
Viola: Isa Juarez
Cello: Queralt Garcia
Harpsichord: Ilil Danin

Recorded at the Fentener van Vlissingenzaal
Recording: NanoGrammophon

June2013
Utrecht

J. S. BACH - Violin Concerto in D minor BWV 1052. I. Allegro

Exploring the potential for using virtual instruments to create a realistic early music sound, with an emphasis on Baroque music. ¶ Esplorante la eblecon por uzi virtualajn instrumentojn por krei realisman fru-muzikan sonon, kun emfazo je baroka muziko.

Handel: Sarabande from Keyboard Suite in D minor, HWV 437 - Organ version (2016.05.09)

Jason Castle