Friday, October 29

Playing music in the background...

This was the first time, I think, that I played "officially" in the background. I was asked to play for a reception, while the guests were having their drinks. It was awkward in the beginning, to say the least! Being a concert-pianist, I wasn't used to playing withe no one to paying any attention! I also felt a bit lonely at times, having the impression that no link whatsoever was created between me and my audience. Apparently this was not true, as almost everyone in the end came to thank me - so I suppose they were listening!! Of course, I did not/would not play classical music; I played light music, Greek songs, movie themes, etc.

Today was the first cold Autumn day. I am so fond of this period of the year... There is a sweet melancholy in the air, there is a spirit of expectation for the coming year (despite the crisis!), and there is a silent anticipation of Christmas...

I think Tchaikovsky succeeded best in capturing this spirit of the Fall, in his "Months". These are 12 wonderful pieces, each one dedicated to a month of the year. Here is "October: Autumn Song", played by Alexei Sultanov, a Russian pianist who died after having suffered a stroke, at my age - 35.




Such a moving mixture of sweetness and sadness. A voice of desolation.

Sunday, October 24

Prokofiev and various

Sergei Prokofiev is in my view one of the most interesting cases in the history of music. There is something fresh and original in his music, something truly unconventional; I was listening to his opus 32 (Four Pieces for Piano) and was amazed at the boldness and inventiveness of his musical writing. There is humor and sarcasm blended together with sentitiveness and tenderness.

I haven't written here for ages. The academic year began (September 24) with a nice solo recital at "Parnassos" concert hall which went well, except my Rachmaninoff (Moment Musical in E minor) which, for some reaons, was unsteady, with many wrong notes and a lack of character. It is the piece that I actually recorded in August, and I thought that this would be my best piece - yet the opposite happened! I really fail to understand sometimes what determines the "success" of a piece; one practices something for ages and ages and still the result is not satisfying.

I now plan for November another shared recital with my friend Spyros Souladakis, here at Holargos, where I live; this will be something different -Greek composers mostly, together with five of my transcriptions on Spanoudakis' music - the first time we'll play these in public.

A sweet Autumn day today, full of light and freshness.