Tag: Lenox Massachusetts

Eugene Lehner, Horenstainer violin 1799 Mittenwald, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Mittenwald, piano, Shirley Kisten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway upright piano model 1098, vintage violin, violin, word press, word press.com, wordpress

Showcasing two of my exquisite instruments (Violin and Piano)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

First the violin, a 1799 Horenstainer, Mittenwald that replaced the "cigar box" I was handed as a kid. My precious teacher, Samuel Gardner selected this German original for me in Paris, France. From there, I took it to Merrywood music camp in Lenox, MA where I coached under Eugene Lehner of the Boston Symphony. Oberlin… Continue reading Showcasing two of my exquisite instruments (Violin and Piano)

chamber music for piano, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Menachem Pressler, Tanglewood, The Beaux Arts Trio of New York, The Tanglewood Music Festival, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Menahem Pressler, Mozart, and Masterclasses (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

There are snips of folkore surrounding this elder statesman of the piano, but aside from slights about his teaching etiquette and temperament, I've always adored Menahem Pressler's artistry. An "old" 1974 recording of the pianist's Mozart's Bb Concerto, K. 450 is an ambrosian delight. The playing is pure singing poetry permeated by impeccable phrasing. An… Continue reading Menahem Pressler, Mozart, and Masterclasses (Videos)

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A Long Lost Concert Program turns up on a dusty grand piano

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

One of the fringe benefits of tidying up a piano room filled with unsorted piles of music and the rest, is finding a gold mine of goodies that have been missing for months, if not years. Have you ever experienced lost this, found that--found that, lost this? It's embarrassing, but as we age, more of… Continue reading A Long Lost Concert Program turns up on a dusty grand piano

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Mozart memories, reflections and revisits (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Andante: second movement, Mozart Sonata K. 545 played on my Steinway, 1917, M. http://youtu.be/PPYKK3hOjnk **** My relationship to Mozart and his music began with the violin. At the Merrywood Music Camp in Lenox, Massachusetts, only a stone's throw from Tanglewood, I encountered Eugene Lehner, first violist of the Boston Symphony when I played second violin… Continue reading Mozart memories, reflections and revisits (Videos)

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Appel Farm Music Camp and the Chicken Coops

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Was I dreaming? Did I wake up in a chicken coop on a hot and humid July morning? The summer before I was a Merrywood camper, encapsulated in a forest of pines bordering Lenox, Massachusetts. A short journey to Tanglewood for a Sunday morning BSO rehearsal, was followed by a breakfast of sizzling waffles and… Continue reading Appel Farm Music Camp and the Chicken Coops

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A Breathtaking Merrywood Music Camp Finale!

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

If I let my imagination run wild, I would frame this writing around Robin Hood. The backdrop was the Merrywood Music Camp, nestled in the Berkshires in a dense forest where a friendly outlaw could easily rob from the rich in Lenox, and retreat into the pines, practically unnoticed. Merrywood was a stone’s throw from… Continue reading A Breathtaking Merrywood Music Camp Finale!