Today’s CD features a unique instrument – a “glass harmonica” – used in Adagio in C Minor & Rondo in C, K617, and Adagio in C for Glass Harmonica, K617a. The sound this instrument produces reminds me of bell ringers. No, that’s not quite right. It reminds me of people who “play” glasses filled with […]
Entries Tagged as 'Alfred Brendel'
Of Light Snowfalls and Glass Harmonicas (Quintets, Quartets, Trios, Box 6)
February 9th, 2010 · No Comments · Adagio in C for glass harmonica, Adagio in C minor & Rondo in C, Alfred Brendel, Box 6: Quintets Quartets Trios, Bruno Hoffman, Glass Harmonica, Heinz Holliger, Mozart at 28, Mozart at 30, Mozart at 35, Quinetet in E flat for piano oboe clarinet horn & bassoon, Stephen Kovacevich, Thomas Bloch, Trio in E flat for piano clarinet & viola, Vienna (August 5 1786), Vienna (March 21 1784), Vienna (May 23 1791), William Zeitler
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Happy Birthday, Wolfgang! (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 27th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, K537, K595, Maynard Solomon, Mozart at 32, Mozart at 35, Mozart's Birthday, Mozart: A Life, Piano Concert No 26 in D "Coronation", Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat, Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna (February 24 1788), Vienna (January 5 1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756, which means today is his 254th birthday. Happy birthday, Wolfgang! Today’s CD – the last of the 12 in the Piano Concertos box – is fantastic. Written when Mozart was 32 and 35, respectively, today’s compositions (Piano Concerto No. 26 in D and Piano Concerto No. […]
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Of Attentitive Food Sellers and Pristine Live Recordings (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 26th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Arthur Rubinstein, Box 4: Piano Concertos, Chopin, Conrad Wilson, K491, K503, Live Recording, Marcia Davenport, Maynard Solomon, Mozart at 30, Mozart: A Life, Notes on Mozart, Panera Bread, Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, Saddest Key of All, Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna (December 4 1786), Vienna (March 24 1786)
Even though the first of today’s musical selections (Piano Concerto No. 24 in C) is in a minor key – thankfully not D minor, the saddest key of all – it is not ponderous or heavy. It does not drag on my mind, even though it does have a full, meaty sound – like Chopin […]
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Of January Caterpillars and Nimble Fingers (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 25th, 2010 · No Comments · A Very Long Engagement, Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Audrey Tautou, Big Lebowski, Caterpillars, Coen Brothers, K482, K488, Mozart at 29, Mozart at 30, Piano Concert No. 22 in E flat, Piano Concert No. 23 in A, Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna (December 16 1785), Vienna (March 3 1786)
Out for a walk yesterday, my wife and I saw two caterpillars making their way across the paved trail ahead of us. Keep in mind, this is January. In Michigan. We are in the throes of Winter. So caterpillars are the last things we expected to see. But there they, undeniably, were. When the temperature […]
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Of Showboats and Sad Keys (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 24th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, K466, K467, Mozart at 29, Nigel Tufnel, Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, Saddest Key of All, Sir Neville Marriner, Spinal Tap, Trill (defined), Vienna (February 10 1785), Vienna (March 9 1785)
It’s a bad sign when the Mozart playing over a restaurant’s sound system allegedly as background music overshadows the music I’m listening to with my ear buds via iTunes on my laptop. That tells me two things are possible: (1) The restaurant’s music is too loud, or (2) The Mozart on CD 9 is the […]
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Of Light Movies and Lively Music (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 23rd, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Box 4: Piano Concertos, Jimmy Page, K456, K459, Marcia Davenport, Mozart at 28, Piano Concert No. 19 in F, Piano Concerto No. 18 in B flat, Sir Neville Marriner, Sostenuto (defined), Vienna (December 11 1784), Vienna (September 30 1784), Vivace (defined), Yngwie Malmsteen
Ahh, now this is more like it. These compositions grabbed me right from the start, from the first three minutes. If Piano Concerto No. 18 in B flat were a heavy-metal song, Alfred Brendel’s piano work would have to be performed by a guitarist insanely fleet-fingered and flamboyant like Yngwie Malmsteen. Or perhaps Led Zeppelin’s […]
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Of Flat Concertos and Flatulence (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 22nd, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Farting, K449, K450, K451, Mozart at 28, Piano Concerto No. 14 in E flat, Piano Concerto No. 15 in B flat, Piano Concerto No. 16 in D, Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna (February 9 1784), Vienna (March 15 1784), Vienna (March 23 (1784)
Quite honestly, I don’t have much to say about today’s compositions. Not one of the three Piano Concertos jumped out at me. The Allegros were not Allegro enough. The Andantes were too Andante. The closest I came to getting excited was when I listened to Piano Concerto No. 16 in D (K451), 3. Rondeau (Allegro […]
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Of This and That (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 21st, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Box 4: Piano Concertos, K382, K415, K453, Mozart at 26, Mozart at 27, Mozart at 28, Mozart at 29, Piano Concerto No. 13 in C, PIano Concerto No. 17 in G, Rondo in D, Sir Neville Marriner
Yesterday, I received a wonderful letter. Its author has given me permission to begin working on a screenplay about a famous and much-loved Classical musician. Since I am incredibly enamored with this musician, this project will be very near and dear to my heart. Suffice to say, I’m pleased and can’t wait to get started. […]
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Of Sullivan’s Travels and Mozart’s Journeys (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 20th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Box 4: Piano Concertos, Jeunehomme (translated), Joel McCrae, K271, K386, K414, Maynard Solomon, Mozart at 21, Mozart at 22, Mozart at 26, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, Mozart: A Life, Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat "Jeunehomme", Preston Sturges, Robert Spaethling, Rondo in A, Sir Neville Marriner, Sullivan's Travels, Veronica Lake
We saw a terrific movie last night, Sullivan’s Travels, the 1941 classic starring Joel McCrae and Veronica Lake. This film was a first for me. It was the first Preston Sturges (writer and director) movie I’ve seen, the first Veronica Lake movie I’ve seen, and the first Joel McCrae movie I’ve seen. I was surprised […]
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Of Bad Movies and Good Music (Piano Concertos, Box 4)
January 19th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alfred Brendel, Box 4: Piano Concertos, Concert for 3 Pianos and Orchestra No. 7 in F, Golden Globe Awards, Hangover, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Imogen Cooper, Mozart at 20, Mozart at 26, Mozart at 27, Piano Concerto No. 11 in F, Piano Concerto No. 8 in C, Salzburg (February 1776), Salzburg (March 1776), Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna (Winter 1782-83)
I can’t discern the appeal of The Hangover – winner of the Golden Globe for Best Picture of 2009 – or why the Hollywood Foreign Press Association picked it over such gems as (500) Days of Summer and Julie & Julia. But I can tell you this much: You’ll never get back those 100 (108 […]
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You can call me Amadeus. But don't expect me to answer to that.