jaz&classical

This is a studio recording from 2012 for the BBC film 'Loving Miss Hatto'. A biopic penned by the British comedian Victoria Wood about pianist Joyce Hatto.

The character piece is like the art song's fun-loving cousin who always shows up to the party with a bottle of emotional perfume. It's perfect for those intimate gatherings or solo rendezvous with your piano. Thanks to the piano's rise to fame in the 1800s, character pieces were popping up everywhere, and composers were flaunting their creations at the hottest recital events of the time. Basically, character pieces were the 19th century's version of a hot new single. If you thought Franz Liszt's music was boring, think again! This guy was all about giving his character pieces creative and whimsical titles, like "Sposalizio" and "Vallée d'Obermann". But don't worry, he didn't forget about those of us who like our music titles to be a little more straightforward - he also composed plenty of works with no-nonsense names like "Album Leaves" and "Klavierstücke". With his "Consolations" (a.k.a. "Six Poetic Thoughts"), Liszt took a page out of Chopin's book and delved into the world of nocturnes. And let me tell you, the third Consolation in D-flat major is pure Chopin - even the key is pianist-friendly, unlike those pesky "easy" keys like C major. Looks like Liszt knew a thing or two about pleasing his audience! If you're a Chopin fan, you're gonna love Liszt's "Consolation No. 3"! I mean, talk about a tribute - this piece is basically a carbon copy of Chopin's Opus 27, no. 1. And while it might not have the same flashy piano solos that Liszt is known for, it more than makes up for it with its dreamy, slow-moving melodies. Plus, it's in the same key as Chopin's original, so you know it's gotta be good.

Despite the unusual title, the Consolations were inspired by both poetry and religious contemplation, just like Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses. Some say the title comes from an 1830 poetry collection by Sainte-Beuve, while others think it's based on a poem by Lamartine called A Tear (or Consolation). Either way, it seems like Liszt was in a pretty contemplative mood when he wrote these pieces. But don't worry, Liszt didn't completely forget his roots - he snuck in a little Hungarian folk song as the primary theme, which he later used in his "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1". So even though this piece might not match the wild, hair-flailing image we have of Liszt, it's still got a little bit of that old-school flavor. Liszt's "Consolation No. 3" wasn't just a musical masterpiece - it was also a major turning point in the composer's life. And let me tell you, Liszt's early life was a doozy - it was basically one big, crazy party. But don't take my word for it, just ask his first mistress (and mother of his three children) Marie d'Agoult, who wrote all about it under the pen name Daniel Stern. And if you're feeling really adventurous, you can even watch the 1975 film "Lisztomania" for all the juicy details. Talk about living the dream! Liszt's life was like something out of a Hollywood movie - seriously, this guy was breaking class barriers and performing like a superstar. But as he got older, he decided to trade in the limelight for a little bit of privacy. He started conducting orchestras and composing more, and even started teaching aspiring pianists from around the world. I guess you could say he was the original piano man!

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

Piano: Yamaha C7
Piano Technician: Martin Walsh
Recorded at Cauldron Studios, Dublin
Recording Engineers: Ciarán Byrne & Michael Manning
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Franz Liszt Consolation no. 3 in D flat Major, S. 172

Valse sentimentale Opus 51 Nr 6 Peter I. Tschaikowsky

Chopin Heroic Polonaise Op.53 A Flat Major - Played by Valentina Lisitsa

A recording of J.S. Bach's 'Preludie in C' played by Neil Balfour.

When J.S. Bach began working on his epic Well-Tempered Clavier in 1722, chances are he wasn't thinking that it would become one of the defining musical texts in keyboard history. But, somehow, it has - and the Prelude No. 1 in C Major is where it all starts.

The Well-Tempered Clavier (there are two volumes of it, each containing a prelude and a fugue in each musical key) kicks off in C Major, the most 'natural' musical key, so he obviously made sure that the first entry is a good one. Few pieces of keyboard music sound so delicate and fragile, but there's a very Bach-ian stability to it as well. 

It's a strikingly simple piece to begin with, gently phasing through different chords and registers, but it's one of those pieces that demands to be tinkered with. Consequently, you'll hear plenty of different interpretations of this much-loved work.

Prelude No. 1 In C Major | Bach

My take on Chopin's saddest little prelude.  Two and a half minutes of ache.


Chopin Prelude No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 28

You can also follow me on Spotify at https://spoti.fi/2MRR1lV and stream the albums I have released there.

Debussy - Deux Arabesques

Valse Parisienne - French Music

Ikuko Kawai - El Choclo (Kiss Of Fire)

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.

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

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

Franz Liszt Venezia e Napoli, s. 159

Swan Lake - Tchaikovsky

Kreisler-Rachmaninoff: Liebesleid played by Rachmaninoff 1923, on Ampico piano roll 62103. which scanned and converted into a digital form by Terry Smythe et al,, and audio-recorded (by permission)in 2015 by VViljanen, and the rec. updated 19 May 2017 from the digitized copy of the original reproducing piano roll.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Sergei Rachmaninoff 1873-1943
Info* of the original roll:
LIEBESLIED (LOVE'S SORROW) "alternating roll with silent sections Weiner Tanzweisen" (Old Viennese Dance Melodies) No. 2
Roll Number: 62103, 62103H
Composer/Creator: Kreisler, Rachmaninoff
Pianist: Rachmaninoff
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: June, 1923
Category: classical, popular
Original Price: $2.00
* source: from The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Kreisler-Rachmaninoff: Liebesleid. Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1923, on Ampico 62103

HappySpin: 1. A Happy Note Scribbled Between the Lines

Franz Liszt-Liebestraum No. 3 in A-Flat Major

Concert étude No. 3: Un sospiro, for piano in D flat major (Franz Liszt)

Kathryn Tremills has been described as "A brilliant pianist, "a performer of amazing technical artistry and mature virtuosity," and "a remarkably perceptive and gifted musician." An alumnus of The Eastman School of Music; The University of Colorado at Boulder; The University of Toronto; and the Banff Centre for the Arts, her awards and honors include first prize in the University of Colorado Vice Chancellor's Graduate Student Competition, a Canada Council Award for studies in Switzerland, an Aldeburgh Connection award for studies in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program in England, and advancement to the finals for the International Grace Welsh Prize for Piano. Kathryn is also a member of Trio D’Argento, along with flutist Sibylle Marquardt and clarinetist Peter Stoll.

Concert étude No. 3: Un sospiro, for piano in D flat major (Franz Liszt)

Kate Tremills

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