Category: pianist

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When a NY Times music critic and reader clash over a piano recital

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I must admit that I chose not to put the title of this writing in the first person. Perhaps, in an egalitarian spirit, I wanted to identify with any audience member or newspaper reader, who might be offended by a particular music review of a favorite recitalist. Part and parcel of such displeasure, might include… Continue reading When a NY Times music critic and reader clash over a piano recital

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What “authentic” edition should a piano student use when learning repertoire of the Masters?

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I'm thinking back to my ancient days studying with Lillian Freundlich in New York City. During this period, like any fledgling I relied on my teacher as an "authority" figure to recommend what Mozart Sonata edition, for example, I should buy down at Patelson's. (This was decades before the quaint hub for musicians seeking authenticity… Continue reading What “authentic” edition should a piano student use when learning repertoire of the Masters?

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Lugansky’s piano teacher, Tatiana Nikolayeva, displayed greatness in her own right

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

What an irony that Nikolai Lugansky, star pupil of Tatiana Nikolayeva was bestowed, perhaps by chance, the masculine form of his teacher-to-be's last name. A prophetic link for both. I noticed that the esteemed teacher Dimitri Bashkirov, refers to his daughter's surname, Bashkirova, so the feminine equivalent of Russian names is often taken within a… Continue reading Lugansky’s piano teacher, Tatiana Nikolayeva, displayed greatness in her own right

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Yevgeny Sudbin, another Russian Pianist topples my day!

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I had my heart set on working out at the gym before noon, but as fate had it, I was stopped in my tracks by the breathtaking artistry of Yevgeny Sudbin. (only 32 years old) And it was merely 24 hours after I'd cried over Nikolai Lugansky's Schumann Intermezzo from Faschingsschwank aus Wien. Could these… Continue reading Yevgeny Sudbin, another Russian Pianist topples my day!

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The Piano Repertoire: Does making fingering/hand adjustments constitute a “swindle?”

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Seymour Bernstein, author of With Your Own Two Hands, remarked that "Chopin wrote out an outline for an intended method of teaching piano. And when he died he left it to Charles Alkan who never finished it. Wouldn't you think that Chopin would stress at the beginning that everything depends upon a deep emotional involvement… Continue reading The Piano Repertoire: Does making fingering/hand adjustments constitute a “swindle?”

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Chopin Waltz in Ab Major, Op. 69 No. 1–considerations of mics, recording conditions, and tempo, with performance comparisons

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

First, I have to admit that my prized Yeti mic suffered yet another break-down. "Break" is to be emphasized. I tripped over the wire on the way to Haddy Haddorff, and the sensitive connector from iMac's USB port to the mic itself was altered. Yeti wouldn't register on "Preferences" as an external no matter how… Continue reading Chopin Waltz in Ab Major, Op. 69 No. 1–considerations of mics, recording conditions, and tempo, with performance comparisons

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My favorite Gershwin performances (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Surfing the Internet, I discovered four inspired readings of my favorite Gershwin selections. These included performances of "I Got Rhythm," the three piano Preludes and Rhapsody in Blue. (I've already regaled Yeol Eum Son's riveting "Embraceable You" in a few previous blogs) First, Irina Morozova delivers a show-stopping, "I Got Rhythm," track 13 of Gershwin… Continue reading My favorite Gershwin performances (Videos)

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Comparison of five performances: Liszt Consolation No. 3 (Piano-videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

After listening intently to Horowitz's reading, I was curious to find others to compare. No doubt a diversity of opinion surrounds any performance, but I had some ideas about why I liked one reading over another. Daniel Barenboim: I always find that his playing is not only inspiring but thoughtful. He delivers an intimate performance… Continue reading Comparison of five performances: Liszt Consolation No. 3 (Piano-videos)

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Aikido and Piano are a good match for Sakura (Video) (Note the rolling forward wrist motion in Kabalevsky’s “Galop”)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Aikido Main article: Aikido Aikido shihōnage technique. "Aikido (合氣道:あいきどう aikidō?) is a modern grappling-based Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba (植芝 盛平 Ueshiba Morihei, 1883 – 1969). The art consists of "striking", "throwing" and "joint locking" techniques and is known for its fluidity and blending with an attacker, rather than meeting "force with force".… Continue reading Aikido and Piano are a good match for Sakura (Video) (Note the rolling forward wrist motion in Kabalevsky’s “Galop”)

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Frustrated piano teacher/Frustrated student– What to do next? (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

A timely comment was posted at my blog site which echoed my own frustration at times about teaching piano. Here's the spark for my current writing and it comes from a music instructor in Vancouver: "I do have the odd students who don’t practice and never improve, and then get frustrated at their lack of… Continue reading Frustrated piano teacher/Frustrated student– What to do next? (Video)