Tuesday, July 26

Chasse Neige... (2)

Can you believe it? I started looking at the score today! To be honest, I had practiced the piece many years ago but I always hesitated to play it in public for the reasons exposed yesterday. But this time, I have a feeling that something might come out...
Yet one can immediately see that this study requires very special technical skills - especially in order to achieve good and even tremolandi. I also realised that I need to learn the score by heart asap - you risk playing too many wrong notes otherwise.
I am quite curious to see what will come out of this...

By the way, the best performance of the piece I 've ever heard is by Kissin. Unfortunately, I could not find it on youtube; it's an extraordinary recording, one that really goes beyond a "good" or even an "excellent" performance. Kissin does so many interesting and original things and in such a persuasive way. The way, for instance, he achieves the chromatic "wave-effect" around the middle of the piece, is quite unparalleled. I do admire him just for this 3 minutes recording...

Monday, July 25

Chasse Neige...

I've just listened to an excellent rendering of my beloved etude by Lizst. It's by Berezovsky and it's a live recording from his recital in Roque d'Anthéron (I must say I don't really like this hall). What I liked in this performance is the sustained pathos, the inner energy and the vast richness of his sound-palette. Especially towards the end of the study (last page), one can really sense this infinite, unbearable nostalgy.


I so much want to play this etude; yet it requires such an emotional sacrifice that I am not sure I can offer! Technically it is hard, of course (though not the hardest of the set). But, interpretation wise, I believe it's one of the most difficult. It's one of these pieces one can study forever... (it does sound a bit hopeless, doesn't it?!!)




Saturday, July 2

Concert in Maldon - Essex UK

I am writing this in Tiptree, a village in Essex-UK, where I am staying with some good friends. Yesterday, Frank took me to a very good concert which happened in St Mary's Church, in a beautiful village called Maldon. The concert was part of the "4th Maldon Festival of Arts", and featured the Pegasus Baroque and the Choir of St Mary's performing works by Purcell, Bach and Handel. The highlight of the evening was the Dixit Dominus HWV 232, a wonderful and very demanding work in 8 parts. I copy from the program: "The work requires extraordinary virtuosity from every performer; singers and players alike, and it may be that Handel was simply experimenting to see just how far his musicians could be stretched".


It was such a pleasant surprise to hear this choir, masterfully directed by Colin Baldy: they were singing with passion and joy and they seemed to so much enjoy making music! (I could actually see them smiling!) From a musical point of view, I think they really did their best to face this most challening score. I think that the tempi were a bit on the presto side (especially in Gloria Patri). But the result was an exciting and explosive sound which reverberated around the thick walls of this old church.


The program included also Vergnugte Ruh by Bach (an interesting cantata). I shouldn't forget to mention the accurate and sensitive performance by the young solo counter-tenor Raffaele Pe. He seems to have a very promising career ahead.


In England there are so many wonderful oportunities to hear good music. I really miss that in Greece, I must say. In the UK one can hear music of the highest calibre even in the most remote village of the country...