Paraphrase for piano on the Intermezzo Sinfonico (Cavalleria Rusticana)

Well, I must say I really enjoyed doing this video-recording!

It is indeed a wonderful piece of music and I always thought that all piano transcriptions made so far (at least to my knowledge) seemed to be lacking something, and not to "work" for the piano.
So I made an attempt to write my own transcription, taking the decision to take some freedom with the score, in order (as I explain) to make it sound like a pianistic piece. This, in my view, should be the aim of every transcription... Not easy and very challenging!

Whether this particular one is a success or not, is really up to you to decide!

Here it is:

Shostakovich: Jazz Suite Waltz 2 (Suite for a Variety Orchestra)

At the end of a tiring day, this music set me in a good and relaxed mood... Shostakovich has written some really superb music, and I am particularly fond of his piano music - especially his 48 preludes & fugues; I was actually fortunate enough to perform three of them.

The interesting thing about this Suite is that, although it is generally known as "Jazz Suite no 2", the actual and correct name is "Suite for a Variety Orchestra". The material comes, to a great extent, from another work - a soundtrack written by S. in the 1950s. So, this is mostly recycled material, but it is obvious that S did not just copy the music but developed it in a most creative manner.

This particular waltz (probably the best part of this suite) has a particular ligthness and elegance but this is not the clue to its success; the secret, I think, lies in the melodic line - it has a natural charm, I mean, it comes out so effortlessly, as if no other melodic path or choice is conceivable.

And again, the eternal question - where does a melody come from?

Which hidden force brings it to light?
What kind of instinct "decides" on the way the melodic line will follow?
And what makes one melody more succesful than another?...

Concert in Athenaeum - May 2011

I don't quite know why I got so stressed about this concert. Maybe the reason is that I had so little time to practice - in the end I only managed to practice a maximum of 2 hours daily. (I remember now my RCM days, when I had all the time of the world and I used to practice 4-5 hours a day...).
My program consisted of:
i. Schumann - Kinderszenen, op. 15.
ii. Rachmaninoff - Prelude in F sharp minor, and Etudes Tableaux 0p.33 no 4, and op. 39 no 1 and 6.
iii. Bach - 2nd English Suite in A minor
iv. Prokofiev - a selection of small pieces, including a transcription of "Romance" from Lieutenant Kije.

As an encore, I played a wonderful transcription by Egon Petri, of a Bach's cantata ("May the Sheep Safely Graze").

Around 40 people came, most of them friends and colleagues, and the atmosphere was warm and cosy. It's so strange, one is really stressed the days before the concert, but normally on the day of the concert itself all intense feelings seem to die down. So, when I actually sat on the piano (a beautiful Steinway), I felt quite relaxed.
The concert hall is located in one of the nicest areas of Athens - Thisseion, just opposite the Acropolis, in a street that is now fortunately pedestrianised.

All in all, I think it went ok. Best performance was possibly Prokofiev (I realised once more how at ease I feel with his music despite its technical difficulty).

No more concert in the near future! But I am looking forward to a couple of recordings I'll make for youtube... So... stay tuned!