Look before you leap, Gustavo Aug 17, 2008
A decade older, his compatriot and fellow child prodigy Gabriela Montero has done just that, combining seasoned virtuosity with remarkable technique in a morning piano recital of Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Schumann and Liszt. If it was all somewhat forceful, wanting a tad more light and shade, she candidly announced: 'I am not a morning person' - and proved it that same evening with a late-night cabaret of her celebrated improvisations on themes suggested by members of the audience. (guardian.co.uk)
10 things to do this weekend Aug 15, 2008
WATCH. TONY CLIFTON a creation of the late comedian Andy Kaufman will be joined onstage by the Katrina Kiss-My-Ass Orchestra, a group comprised of New Orleans and Gulf Coast musicians, singers, dancers and production personnel, at the Chopin Theatre. The zany BYOB show is likely to include burlesque dancers, comedy and plenty of adult humor. (Crain's Chicago Business)
“Talk Radio” Aug 8, 2008
Everything they said was to show their Concern, to demonstrate their innate goodness; nothing they said came from firsthand observation; they had no experience whatsoever, only Concern, and the sign of their Deep Concern was their use of dozens, if not hundreds, of modifying clauses in each sentence, which was a great deal (or at least more than one might ideally hope for) of modification, the result being audio oatmeal, and two hours of them wasn't worth one Chopin prelude, in his book. When... (The Atlantic Online)
Dorothy Myers, 88, amateur piano champ Jul 27, 2008
She reeled off everything from Chopin to Hoagy Carmichael, as her opponents all professional musicians fell one by one. "Our whole family just stood there watching her incredulously," said her daughter, Lynn Scott Myers of Decatur. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Unfamiliar riches in a familiar room Jul 27, 2008
Off the top of my head, there s the Mendelssohn Symphony No. 2 (Lobgesang), which I find quite beautiful even if its devotion to Beethoven s Ninth is plain; the two Prokofiev string quartets, the first of which I particularly like; the motets of Brahms (and his vocal music generally); the piano trio by Chopin. Numerous other examples could come to mind, but in the past couple days I ve been listening to unfamiliar works by none other than Beethoven and wondering why they don t get done. (The Palm Beach Post)
Laplante brings new life to an old hall Jul 24, 2008
It didn't take much of Laplante's program of pieces by Chopin and Liszt to prove that Gould had good reason to be hot for this hall (though not so much for those composers) ... Parts of Chopin's Fantasy in F minor, Op. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Life, the universe and Kensington Jul 18, 2008
Chopin, too, makes only a fleeting appearance, with the Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante and some waltzes (in Lang Lang's Prom on August 31). Poor Schumann is ignored completely, but no doubt powder is being kept dry ahead of the bicentenary of his birth in 2010. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Bach to improvising and all that jazz Jul 13, 2008
But some of history's best composers were great improvisers, among them Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Bach. "If you play a passage of Bach with your right hand and swing it, it's sometimes hard to ascertain if it's Bach or Charlie Parker," says Tedeschi. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
O'Brien's blog Jun 23, 2008
The entry titled "Braves need an R.E.M.-like resurgence," and any of the comments about it. Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
Lisa Spector has found the perfect piano pitch for calming that neurotic canine Jun 23, 2008
"I had attended a seminar on psychoacoustics - the study of sound and the human nervous system. I started applying that with the students at my music school, and there was this extreme effect in helping them. I wanted to see how effective this is with dogs, so sound researcher Joshua Leeds and I ran a research study throughout the country, directed by veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner. We recorded four hours of music and we applied the same principles that would be effective for calming... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Local musicians benet their own Jun 19, 2008
61 by Chopin (1810-1849). Those represent some of Pearlman s favorite music. (Half Moon Bay Review, CA)
Gentle humour with an aftershock Jun 18, 2008
"He comes in and starts with the Chopin first etude, which I could never play. And he warms up with this piece! He just goes up and down the piano, and you think, 'My God, in my time only Ashkenazy played like that.' It's scary.". Emanuel Ax plays Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22, with the Sydney Symphony conducted by Robin Ticciati, in the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, tonight, Friday and Saturday. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Lend an ear to these tony Tony-nominated musicals Jun 14, 2008
"In the Heights" (Ghostlight Records): Years ago, as a teenager in New York, I would step out of ballet classes set to the music of Tchaikovsky and Chopin and secretly thrill to the liberating sounds of Latin music that often poured out of storefronts on my way to the subway. Listening to the double CD of 23 tracks for composer (and star) Lin-Manuel Miranda's salsa, Latin pop and hip-hop-infused score for "In the Heights" -- a show about young Latin Americans living, working (and dancing) in the... (Chicago Sun-Times)
More of this story Jun 14, 2008
"Beginning with the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, and various other competitions in the European capitals, pianists earned prizes in competitions, and it looks good in their vita and it helps their career. Anything that helps their career these days is valuable.". Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave. Tickets at (213) 365-3500 or. (Los Angeles Downtown News, CA)
And the nominees are... Jun 6, 2008
24 Preludes by Chopin, The National Ballet of Canada ... The Ensemble, 24 Preludes by Chopin. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Rachmaninoff in America Jun 4, 2008
In April of 1919 Rachmaninoff recorded some Chopin and Mozart, the first time he had ever attempted this innovation ... His early recordings were very successful and featured Chopin's Waltz Op. (Suite101.com)
* [CLASSICAL DVD REVIEWS] Jun 4, 2008
CHOPIN PIANO MUSIC Kempf, Perl, Hewitt BBC 2003 Opus Arte 0893 D ... Opus Artes 2005 DVD Chopin Piano Music (containing a BBC film made in 2003) has Alfredo Pearl playing all the Preludes, Freddy Kempf playing all the Etudes, and Angela Hewitt playing the Sonata in B Minor. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Mozdzer adapts classical Chopin to jazz May 31, 2008
The technical skills required to play Frederic Chopin's difficult compositions are so hard to attain that they are often thought of as the "mount improbable" by mediocre pianists ... But the great tradition of piano playing in Poland did not end with the demise of Chopin ... He not only overwhelmed the audience with his admirable finger speed and coordination on the keyboard -- his left hand played Chopin while his right hand improvised with jazz -- he also amused them with his bizarre... (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Zurich Opera and Cecilia Bartoli revive Halévy's opera 'Clari' May 27, 2008
"Only in Paris can one experience what singing means," wrote Chopin, a tireless operagoer there. "Today it is unquestionably not [Giuditta] Pasta, but Malibran who is the first in Europe - a wonder!" The euphoria she inspired in audiences turned to legend when at the age of 28 she died after a riding accident. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
For Zigman, film scores are his calling May 26, 2008
Zigman also adored the soundtrack for TV's Star Trek, the Beatles, his brother's recordings of jazz greats Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock, and Chopin. He still remembers the effect of practicing Chopin's melancholy Prelude in E Minor, Opus. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Events listings May 18, 2008
Works by Brahms, Schumann, Chopin ... Works by Saint-Saens, Debussy, Chopin, Kovacs, Brahms ... 7/24-7/25: Works by Smetana, Bizet, Ravel; works by Chopin with Katia Skavani, piano. (Boston Globe)
Siff's Blog: Rediscover Musical Treasure May 13, 2008
SONY/BMG has finally released a two-CD set, including pieces by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Bach, , Mussorgsky, Debussy and. If you're not a classical music fan, and you're thinking "big deal," then imagine finding a lost Buddy Holly record, or unearthing an unreleased James Dean movie. (WNBC.com, NY)
Dance of the complicated storyteller May 2, 2008
" Robbins tried to move his choreographic style to Balanchine-like abstraction, but his true forte lay in narrative ballets as well as musical theatre. One of the four works in the Australian Ballet's tribute combines these two worlds, giving ballet the pizzazz of a musical danced to Chopin's most familiar melodies. The Concert is a hilarious send-up of ballet, set within a framework of split-second timing, and full of visual references to the nicknames of various Chopin pieces - among them the... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
The master songwriter turns maestro Apr 21, 2008
On the road in the 1990s he drew on that classical training to put his own lyrics to the work of composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Debussy and Chopin ... " He wrote the songs while touring, scribbling them on napkins in restaurants and during flights, relying on memories of the music he learned as a young piano student. "It was not until I got to a piano months later that I could play them and hear them," he says. "I had to collaborate with Frederik Chopin and Schumann and Tchaikovsky... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Stockholm on $250 a day Apr 19, 2008
I take a seat in a wooden pew as a local pianist fills the space with the music of Chopin. Dusky evening light filters in through leaded glass windows and shimmers off the golden angels on the high brick ceiling. (CNN -- Travel)
Letter from Germany Apr 19, 2008
On one of those discs he played Chopin's 24 preludes with great sensitivity ... He tackled two Mozart sonatas before the Chopin preludes Tuesday night. (International Herald Tribune)
Nakamatsu returns to Auburn for Adams series Apr 18, 2008
Nakamatsu will also perform solo pieces by composing giants Haydn and Chopin. But the most interesting piece, he said, is Papillons by Robert Schumann. (Auburn Citizen, NY)
A Recent National Study Confirms Music's Benefits to Children Now, Monster Joins with World Class Concert Pianist Katya Grineva to Bring Classical Music into the Lives of New York City's Most Deserving Youth Apr 17, 2008
It is my desire that by giving these children the opportunity to hear the genius of composers such as Chopin and Ravel, we can unleash a lifetime love of classical music among many of these PAL students, said a hopeful Ms. Grineva. It is possible that this initial exposure to classical music could unveil another gifted young pianist, whose talents, like Katya, would have otherwise gone unrecognized, added Monster CEO Sal Iannuzzi. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
CBC listeners protest Apr 14, 2008
Lindsay Jones/Metro Halifax. Adrienne Richey, 15, of Dartmouth, left holding a sign, joins protesters to rally against upcoming cuts to classical music on CBC Radio 2 during a protest in Halifax Friday. (Metro Canada - Halifax)
'I became obsessed with Beethoven's obsession' Apr 14, 2008
For several years, beginning when he was age 9, he took piano lessons and savored works by Beethoven and Chopin. Kaufman found his theatrical calling in a more roundabout way. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Charity in spin at music donation Apr 11, 2008
We'll do a Chopin week, a Mozart week, that sort of thing - we'll find a way around it. " "It is important for people who donate to actually see their gifts in the shop. (BBC News)
Record classical music donation leaves Oxfam spinning Apr 9, 2008
"It's a small shop, I don't think we'll fit the whole collection in one go. We'll do a Chopin week, a Mozart week, that sort of thing - we'll find a way around it.". Oxfam makes around 5m from the sale of film and music each year. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Talk of the Town: More housework for you and me! Apr 9, 2008
Judy Pottle and Mary Ann Tyrell will perform the largo movement of a Chopin sonata for cello and piano and the scherzo movement of a Beethoven sonata. Anneke Mattson will play Melodie in G major by Robert Schumann. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Radio station plays its pet sounds Apr 5, 2008
Recent shows have featured dedications for a centipede that wanted "anything multi allegro" (it got Flight Of The Bumblebee), a three-legged dog named Tripod (the Minute Waltz by Chopin, in three-quarter time) and an obese cat in the Blue Mountains that was about to dine on fish (Schubert's Trout Quintet). While 2MBS is Sydney's only independent classical station, Pets' Choice is not limited to classical compositions. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Audience suffers 'fools' gladly: Muscatine teachers' talents take the spotlight during April Fools (in) Concert Apr 3, 2008
Colorado and Madison elementary music teacher Richard Sessler, received enthusiastic applause for his piano solo of Chopin s Polonaise. Sessler also accompanied District music teacher Alyce Spoto in her flute solo of Bohuslav Martinu s First Sonata. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Inspired by Ella Apr 2, 2008
" A few weeks later, she was playing and singing around town at Ben Wicks jazz club and soon after at the Montreal Bistro, the Rex and other venues. She hasn't looked back. The album's title alludes to the seminal musical moments that have shaped her life, including, at the age of 9, only a few weeks after she started piano lessons, hearing Arthur Rubinstein play Chopin at Massey Hall. "This seemingly ancient man, whose unbounded energy and passion scared me to death. I thought for sure he would... (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Britt announces 2008 summer season Mar 28, 2008
Highlights of opening weekend include pianist Ingrid Fliter performing Chopin, excerpts from Prokofiev s ballet Romeo t, British trumpeter Alison Balsom, Tchaikovsky s Serenade for Strings, the Britt horn section playing Schumann s Concertstck, and a chance to hear the percussion players in an exotic piece based on Haitian rhythms. For the middle weekend Maestro Bay has planned a tribute to The Golden Age of the Silver Screen. (Yreka Siskiyou Daily News, CA)
Return of New York City Ballet fails to thrill Mar 23, 2008
In The Concert, Robbins made one of the best comedy ballets, about an audience s fantasies at a Chopin piano recital. Those seeing it for the first time are always in for a treat. (Times Online)
Frederica von Stade sings Pauline Viardot Mar 23, 2008
The Viardot pieces ranged from airy meditations on nature and a winsome Chopin mazurka transcription to a feverish "Incantation" and a love duet from her operetta "Cendrillon." Music director Peter Grunberg did plenty of heavy lifting in the busy piano accompaniments, making himself an equal partner in the proceedings ... The narration followed a chronological timeline of Viardot's remarkable career, from her musical "boot camp" childhood to her dispassionate marriage to her friendships with... (San Francisco Chronicle)
PCCA kicks off 2008 campaign Mar 22, 2008
Included in their program will be Chopin, Mendelssohn and Debussy pieces plus Leonard Bernstein melodies from "West Side Story" and Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Greensleeves.". Post-holiday fare opens the evening of Feb. 6 with "Just Friends," featuring Jimmy Martin and Dee Noah. (Pratt Tribune, KS)
Belbin, Agosto taking a classical approach Mar 16, 2008
Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto teamed with Chopin to dance off with the US title in January ... When he came back with Chopin, though, they agreed to try it, and the flowing, romantic program has turned out to be the perfect showcase for their skills. (Boston Globe)
directs "Viardot" Mar 16, 2008
Horne, who was among the first modern singers to rediscover and champion Viardot's songs, acts as the host, and von Stade, along with soprano Melody Moore and baritone Vladimir Chernov, sing not only Viardot's own songs but also music written for her by Gounod, Chopin, Berlioz and others. The format, Mansouri says, is "an adaptable model," a broadly applicable way of returning the Romantic art song to something closer to its original setting. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Meet Viardot Mar 16, 2008
Her intellectual gifts - she spoke six languages fluently - brought her the friendship of many of the leading cultural figures of the day, including Chopin, Liszt, George Sand, Delacroix and Dickens ... She also made a specialty of transcribing piano solos by Chopin, Schubert and Liszt into vocal showpieces that she sang in recital. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Classic look could lift Belbin-Agosto to 1st world title - for them and United States Mar 15, 2008
When he came back with Chopin, though, they agreed to try it, and the flowing, romantic program has turned out to be the perfect showcase for their skills. It highlights their chemistry, expression and speed, their traditional strengths. (MSNBC -- Sports)
National Ballet's versatility shines in triumphant trio Mar 15, 2008
The iconoclast Chouinard has deconstructed Chopin's quintessential romantic music to create quirky dances that reflect mood, emotion and beat, but as she hears them ... From the get-go, Chouinard announces that hers is not a traditional interpretation of, dare I say, Chopin schlock ... As the piece progresses, bodies distort while limbs are angled in the most peculiar way, but always tied to the music, as if Chopin wrote disco. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
The Geometry of Music Mar 15, 2008
But if you go to Tymoczko's website you can see exactly what he's getting at by looking at movies he has created to represent tunes by Chopin and, of all things, Deep Purple. In both cases, as the music progresses, one chord after another lights up in patterns that occupy a surprisingly small stretch of musical real estate. (Time.com)
Land of 20 million pianists Mar 10, 2008
"Some Chopin?" I suggested, but he insisted on Liszt. It was showy, bashed-out virtuosity, not too accurate, though impressive in its sweaty energy. (Guardian Unlimited)
Review: Ballet sings in 'West Side Story' Mar 9, 2008
In his more balletic mode, Robbins doesn't get more touching than "In the Night," his portrait of three kinds of relationships set to Chopin nocturnes (Roy Bogas on piano). Lorena Feijoo made a welcome return from injury in one of her best roles, the torrential lover throwing herself upon stolid Damian Smith, then kneeling at his feet before being scooped up with forgiveness. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Compete to open for Fergie Mar 8, 2008
The band's musical influences range from classical music like Chopin, to rock artist Jimi Hendrix and Rp Bel Biv Devoe. "We think this will be a lot of fun and it's a great chance to play and turn people on to our music," Gibbins said. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Chinese piano virtuoso to perform at Beattie-Powers Mar 8, 2008
The occasion offers an opportunity to not only enjoy the ambiance and aesthetics of a local 19th-century architectural and cultural treasure, but to do so amidst the resonating acoustics of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Prokofiev as they fill the air. Performing the piano recital will be Bard College Conservatory of Music student Wei Zhou, who has been studying the instrument since she was five. (Catskill Daily Mail, NY)
S.F. Symphony Sked Mar 6, 2008
Wagner: "Tannhuser" Overture and "Venusberg" Music, Suite from "Die Meistersinger"; Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1. Jan. 7, 9, 10, 11 (m). (San Francisco Chronicle -- Crime)
Breaking down Sound barriers Mar 6, 2008
In January, he presented his magnum opus, "Hip Hop Sonata" - which adds a lively, vibrant feel and Choice's own rapped lyrics to melodies written by Schubert, Chopin, Ravel and Beethoven. The following month, he donned a porkpie hat and a blazer and led his 12-piece jazz group, the Kev Choice Ensemble, through a tribute to African American purveyors of "America's classical music" - jazz - in honor of Black History Month. (San Francisco Chronicle)
American band man Mar 3, 2008
I could hear Beethoven and Chopin and people like that, he revealed. Second choice, maybe the 1950s. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
The Air This Week Feb 26, 2008
2 p.m. Coffeetime/Angellyn Grant (WMBR); Sakari Oramo/City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra: Chopin arr. Stravinsky Nocturne and Grand valse brillante; Stravinsky Capriccio for piano and orchestra (Peter Donohoe) and "Persephone" (Peter Wedd) (BBC Radio 3). (Boston Globe)
Supporting musical dreams Feb 25, 2008
Randall, a pianist who has been studying for 13 years, received the second place prize for his performances of Chopin's "Nocturne Opus Nine" and Beethoven's "Waldstein Sonata, Opus 53, Allegro con brio.". "It's something that really conveys a lot of emotion. It sort of spoke to me as an individual," Randall said of the Chopin piece. (Freeport Journal-Standard, IL)
Manhattan Piano Trio: a grand departure from the usual Feb 15, 2008
The trio s last appearance in Dunn s Corners featured a similarly mixed, romantic program, with music by Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin, Jules Massenet, Astor Piazzola and Sergei Rachmaninoff. "We love to give people a little of everything," says Strezeva, "so there will be something that everyone has enjoyed, and they can go away with a smile.". (Westerly Sun, RI)
Music for lovers Feb 15, 2008
11, of Frederic Chopin ... Part of that was the story line, I m sure, but most of it was the Chopin ... Chopin was barely 20 when he wrote it in 1830, and along with its companion No. 2 in F minor, it has been mocked and underrated ever since, even by admirers of the composer. (The Palm Beach Post)
Pianist as pop star Feb 13, 2008
Just six years later, he won one of the highest awards in the piano world: the gold medal in Warsaw's Chopin Piano Competition ... "We were very close. We worked together a lot, almost five hours a day, every day. In North America teaching is very businesslike: You do your job for an hour." Dan's devotion to his student was so strong that he travelled with Li to the Chopin competition, and even cooked Chinese food for him while he was in Warsaw. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Classical music at the Grammys? Feb 11, 2008
Actually, I would think in a high-voltage show like the Grammys an bit of acoustic splendor like, yes, Lang Lang, playing a Chopin prelude or something might actually work. Or how about some new music, where the heart of classical composition now beats. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
George Gershwin Alone’ is more cabaret act than play Jan 25, 2008
Following the run of George Gershwin Alone, Hershey Felder appears as Monsieur Chopin Feb. 7-10. 216-795-7000 or. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
Five Browns take the stage Thursday Jan 22, 2008
They extend their individual and collective mastery of the piano and their command of classical repertoire through a series of emotionally complex works by Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, and Saint Saens to the jazz-influenced contemporary masterpieces of Gershwin. The 5 Browns round out Browns in Blue with a newly commissioned five-piano piece by John Novacek. (Rolla Daily News, MO)
Each piece an eloquent, joyful poem Jan 17, 2008
But Tuesday's concert was all about the small: The program consisted almost entirely of groups of relatively short pieces by Bach and Chopin, with a smattering of Debussy and Faure ... Whether Goode was exploring the mysteries of the heart in Chopin's Mazurkas, or unleashing the febrile, impulsive energy of Debussy's ... You could call Goode's approach to Chopin "sympathetic modernism," as in: "This is how they felt about love, life and musical sound in those days - isn't it wonderful?" Chopin's... (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Overlooked classical music treasures that should be unearthed Jan 16, 2008
John Field: Nocturnes: Chopin perfected the piano nocturne, but he got the idea from the Irish pianist John Field. The whole stylistic constellation of Chopin's music - the expansive left-hand accompaniments, the billowing and increasingly ornamented melodies, the moody harmonies - is already there in Field's nocturnes, recorded complete on Chandos in sumptuous performances by Mcel O'Rourke (8719/20) ... Even if the music doesn't boast the same emotional urgency or range of invention as... (San Francisco Chronicle)
ART in the DARK Jan 11, 2008
He has released CDs featuring the piano works of George Gershwin, Chopin and most recently, a collection of his favorite ragtime and early jazz pieces. Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. 2008. (Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ)
New year, new music: Mix Tape '08 Jan 3, 2008
Featuring titles that weave together a winter theme, this CD offers music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Seacoast composer Roger Rudenstein, all recorded at a world class recording facility. The CD is available at Barnes and Noble, Bull Moose Music, Darrell's Music Hall, and the Portsmouth Candle Co.. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
