Classical favorites

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
Please share and comment.

An NFT of this track will be available from the artist soon!

Franz Liszt Consolation no. 3 in D flat Major, S. 172

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

09 - Tomaso Albinoni - Concerto a 5 Op.9,8 g for Oboe 3 Allegro

Balakirev's transcription for solo piano of the slow movement of Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto. Chopin wrote it when he was still a teenager. Precocious bastard.

Chopin (arr. Balakirev) Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11  Romanza

A cello quartet arrangement of the second movement from J S Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068.
Cello arranged and performed by Deryn Cullen
Mix and mastering by @dan-cullen

J S Bach - Air on the G - String

Steinway & Sons Model D 274 Concert Grand Piano. Live Piano Recording. Orchestral String from Garritan Instant Orchestra. I hope you love the melancholy theme of this song.

Frédéric Chopin - Waltz In B Minor, Op.69 No.2 (No.10) (Orchestrated Version)

베토벤 교향곡 1번 Symphony No.1 in C Major Op.21 - 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio

Overture to Mnemosyne evoca el susurro de una eternidad olvidada, un himno sin palabras que viaja desde el polvo de mármol hasta los ojos de los dioses. En esta pieza instrumental, cuatro violonchelos entrelazan sus voces como si tejieran la memoria misma, recordándonos aquello que el tiempo, por temor o por vergüenza, intenta enterrar.

En esta oda sinfonizada a la diosa de la memoria, encontramos a un joven Yridichenko viviendo entre las columnas de la Antigua Roma, camuflado bajo el nombre de Aelius Mnemon, esclavo de un senador amante de las artes y los enigmas. Aunque reducido a servidumbre, Aelius portaba en secreto la herencia sincrónica de su linaje, resonando con fragmentos de memorias que no eran suyas, retazos de mundos lejanos, de civilizaciones que aún no habían nacido.

Por las noches, en los jardines del Palatino, Aelius tocaba un instrumento extraño que él mismo construyó con restos de un naufragio etrusco, uno que parecía un antepasado del violonchelo. Lo hacía en honor a Mnemosyne, a quien sentía como una sombra amorosa que lo guiaba desde otra dimensión. Las melodías que extraía no eran composiciones suyas, sino recordatorios, pulsaciones antiguas que despertaban lágrimas en los ojos de quienes las escuchaban. A veces, el mismísimo emperador enviaba emisarios para que lo espiaran, convencido de que aquel joven esclavo tocaba músicas que solo los dioses conocían.

Durante un eclipse, Aelius fue llamado al templo de Vesta, donde tuvo una visión: una figura de ojos constelados le ofrecía una copa con agua del Leteo, diciéndole que si bebía, olvidaría su misión, pero viviría libre. Rechazó el olvido. Y por ese acto, Mnemosyne le susurró el primer acorde del Overture —el que abre esta pieza— y lo selló como Guardián de lo no dicho.

Esta obra es un fragmento de ese recuerdo. Un testimonio de cómo el alma de Yridichenko caminó por la historia como testigo anónimo, y cómo, entre las ruinas romanas, dejó inscrita en el viento una sinfonía que aún hoy susurra:
“Recuerda, aunque los imperios caigan, la memoria es un dios que jamás muere.”

INSTRUMENTAL
Cuarteto de Violonchelos

Overture to Mnemosyne (Instrumental)

First Loves
Tim Fain, violin
Robert Koenig, piano

First Loves is a collection of quintessential violin masterpieces which first inspired me to be a violinist. Includes showpieces by Rachmaninoff, Sarasate, Wieniawski, and more, plus “Swan Remix,” my own arrangement of themes from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.
As a kid, I was surrounded by classical, pop, rock, jazz, film and contemporary concert music – finding a balance of old and new music is still very important to me. Many of the works on First Loves are the ones that drew me in as a child – Rachmaninoff, Sarasate, and Wieniawski, arrangements by Heifetz, and Kreisler – and remain profoundly relevant today. I’ve also included “Swan Remix,” my own arrangement of themes from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, which I made after my work on-camera and on the soundtrack of the film Black Swan. Each track is dedicated to someone who inspired me or made it possible for me to be the person and the artist that I am today. My hope is that First Loves will inspire others, young and old, to fall in love with the violin as I did.

Johann Sebastian Bach - Suite №1. Prelude (Six suite

Tico1978

Recent comments

Amanda Frey

Airam

maryam rasouli

Adriano Adriano Baqueiro

Related tracks