Mussorgsky: ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ sans Ravel
A good way to prepare for this week’s performances by Carl St.Clair and Pacific Symphony of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” in Ravel’s incomparable orchestration is to hear the piece in its original version, for solo piano. Here’s Alice Sara
Alexander Romanovsky plays Chopin
Alexander Romanovsky will perform Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Pacific Symphony on Feb. 1-4, in his California debut. Here he is playing Chopin’s Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, No. 5, taken from his newest album for Decca.
Video: Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2
https://youtu.be/Il95HXvCdH4 Alexander Romanovsky will perform this piece with Pacific Symphony on Feb. 1-4. Meanwhile, you can get it in your ears by listening to Yuja Wang play it with the Berlin Philharmonic, Paavo Jarvi conducting. It’s considered one of the
Video: Philip Glass: Etude No. 6
Pianist Víkingur Ólafsfon’s new recording of music by Philip Glass is being mentioned in year-end best of lists. This is music that’s great to watch being performed as well as hear.
Compare and contrast: Mozart’s ‘Rondo alla Turca’ played by Glenn Gould, Lang Lang and Friedrich Gulda
Audio: Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9
https://youtu.be/GdXj0nR6VF8 One of the earlier of Mozart’s masterpieces, the Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271, completed when he was 21. Here’s an exceptional performance from the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Neville Marriner, with Alfred Brendel
Great moments in film music: ‘The Big Store’
For the fun of it, another in an occasional series … Chico and Harpo Marx play piano four hands in “The Big Store.”
After Eight Lessons: The Recording
For those of you who are interested, here’s the recording I made after eight piano lessons at OC Music and Dance community arts school in Irvine. Eight Lessons Later: The Recording. OC Music and Dance Blog, Sept. 18, 2017.
Video: The lighter side of classical music: Jacques Casterede’s ‘Menage a trois’
I love humor in music. This in on the broader side of the spectrum, but nonetheless it’s very well done and the music is snappy. Listen to Jacques Castérède’s “Ménage à trots” performed by Par Ibban Malonga, Loann Fourmental et Théa de