Improvisation on a song by Alexis Weissenberg; from a recital in the presence of the composer.

Spirale

Revered pianist Alexis Weissenberg's gorgeous solo piano arrangement of an equally gorgeous song by French singer/songwriter Charles Trenet. The story goes that Weissenberg himself never performed this piece in public because he was afraid programming popular songs (amongst other trivialities) would damage his career and image as a classical pianist. I share no such reservations and firmly believe that great music will always be great music regardless of its genre or who is playing it. This piece was originally published along with five other Trenet arrangements in an incognito album under the alias 'Mr. Nobody', the identity of whom was not revealed to the public until many, many years later.

This is a piece that I have been enamoured with since the very first time I listened to it. I finally began working my way through it over the summer and the end result has brought me a truly immense amount of joy. I'm certain that this is a work that will stay with me and find its way into my programs for a very long time. Inspiration was drawn from the always great, always extraordinary Marc Andre Hamelin who is also the one that brought this piece back into the concert hall by transcribing it by ear from its original 1950s recording by Weissenberg, or rather, 'Mr. Nobody'.

En Avril, a Paris - Arr. Weissenberg/Trenet

All recordings engineered by Mike Golubitsky

Alexis Weissenberg: Sonate en état de Jazz (excerpt)

Played and arranged by Alexis Weissenberg (Mister Mystery)
#MyFairLady #AlexisWeissenbergArchive

My Fair Lady St Laurent

On the street where you live

Transcription by Alexis Weissenberg (Mister Mystery)
#MyFairLady

Show me

Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op.11
Orchestre de l'ORTF & Maurice Le Roux
Paris, TCE 7 juin 1966

1966 Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op.11 Le Roux & ORTF

Le pianiste AW au Théâtre de la Ville
Inter Actualités de France Inter, June 1973
In French

1973 Le pianiste AW au Théâtre de la Ville

Mozart: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.9 in E-flat Major, K.271
With Emmanuel Krivine & Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. 
Espace Cardin, Paris. 14 May, 1981

1966 Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Op.11 Le Roux & ORTF

Alexis Weissenberg Archive

Related tracks