The last movement of Beethoven's immortal 30th piano sonata (played by me).

Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 30 In E Major, Op. 109  final movement

Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61

Bach doing his thing. Notice the 2nd half (1'20) starts with an inversion of the opening theme. Bach just riffing away with delight :)

(for those asking, it's played by me as are all of my tracks on SoundCloud)

Bach French Suite No. 5: Gigue

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.

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

Antonio Vivaldi - Violin Concerto in E minor, RV277 ''Il favorito'' - III. Allegro

Vivaldi: Concerto Op.3 No.9 In D Major RV 230 (Violin, strings and continuo) - 2.Larghetto

Mendelssohn Four Pieces For String Quartet Op. 81

Artea String Quartet
Thomas Gould, violin I
Rhys Watkins, violin II
Benjamin Roskams, viola
Ashok Klouda, cello

Champs Hill Records, 2014

03 Four Pieces For String Quartet Op. 81  III. Capriccio In E Minor, MVW. R 32

SUBTONIC - Whispers from the Shell

At a time of gathering momentum, ALPHA is rereleasing 14 seminal recordings in a collection called, quite simply, ALPHA
COLLECTION.
This series brings together the finest Baroque recordings from the Alpha and ZZT catalogues: discs singled out for honours,
emblematic artists of music from that period, recordings that marked the discography...
This is also the occasion to discover or rediscover universally known works as well as world premiere recordings of rarities.
In the framework of these rereleases, the performers have been interviewed and bear witness to their view of the work and
their recording several years later, and their fascinating remarks are taken up in the booklets (all trilingual: French, English,
German).

Vivaldi: Concerto Op.3 No.9 In D Major RV 230 (Violin, strings and continuo) - 2.Larghetto

L'Arte dell'Arco