Such a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman feel, Wonderful

Fantastic modernist piece, with colors that reminds one of machines, of Hollywood, and of fairy tales (often with a grim or sarcastic tone). It starts of with a beautiful Russian folk tune, and from that emerges a sound narrative that no one could predict, full of unexpected turns, in a balance between incomparable excitement and pristine beauty. Perhaps one of the greatest piano concertos of the 20th century. 

I play the solo part, and Carlos Hernandez conducts the wonderful Ball State Symphonic Orchestra.

By the way, often this quote is attributed to Prokofiev: “there are still many beautiful things to be said in C major”. Whether he said or not, this Concerto definitely attests to the truth of the statement.

Prokofiev - Piano Concerto n. 3, mov. 1

Preludes for Piano

Prelude 3. Indecisive Impressions

Series of thoughts on a snowy and almost desolate landscape. (From old tapes: the sound quality is very modest.)

Snowscapes: Nº1 Introduction, Solitude.

A long slow somnambulistic violin with some background sounds for added relaxation.

Dream's edge(flight of fantasy)

1st movement


“Resounding through all the notes
In the earth's colorful dream
There sounds a faint long-drawn note
For the one who listens in secret.”

...

“Take, then, these songs,
That I to you, beloved, sang”

You can tell by the quotations Schumann used in his Fantasie, op. 17, that it is a very passionate - yet lyrical and vulnerable - work. 

Its main extra-musical themes are his passion/love for Clara Schumann, his admiration for Beethoven, and the mysterious note and listener of the first quotation. But those are all so impregnated in the music that they barely fit the “extra-musical” label. The magic of Robert Schumann of making literature become music, and music become literature.

Schumann - Fantasie op. 17, I. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen.

I'm going to make some remakes of the old versions, and this is one of them
https://soundcloud.com/user-441019026/invitation

Invitation (remix)

This Romantic, and dare I suggest it seemingly gothic-inspired
work - the sense of the supernatural and to a certain degree, of suspense - is dedicated to violinist Goetz Richter and his pianist-wife Jeanell Carrigan, as a gesture of thanks for the generous and unwavering interest they have shown in my work. The piece itself was inspired by the poem ‘Spellbound’ by Emily Bronte

The night is darkening round me,

The wild winds coldly blow;

But a tyrant spell has bound me

And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending

Their boughs weighed with snow,

And the storm is fast descending,

And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,

Wastes beyond wastes below;

But nothing dear can move me;

I will not, cannot go.

The performers are Goetz Richter AM (violin) and Jeanell Carrigan AM (piano) Recorded in February 2018 at Verbrugghen Hall at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music for the Wirripang CD release "Spellbound." 

The piano was the Fazioli concert grand tuned and maintained by David Kinney. Recording Engineer: David Kim Boyle.

Spellbound (violin and piano)

Davidsbündlertänze, Dances of the League of David, Op. 6, is a set of eighteen pieces for piano composed in 1837 by Robert Schumann.

Spellbound (violin and piano)

Phillip Wilcher

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