Saturday, November 10

Khachaturian - Suite Masquerade - Memory

Have I ever said that I used to present a live radio program on classical music for about four years? It was during my student years, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing this. I must say that this is one of the thing I miss mostly nowadays...
 Anyway, the reason I mention this is that one of the most popular requests from people calling in was the "Masquerade Suite", the exciting work composed by the great Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian
I haven't heard this Suite for quite some time, and I bumped into it today - and the memories (sweet and bitter in equal measure) from my "radio-producing" years came flooding back.
This suite is filled  with strong emotions: passion, tenderness, sweetness, enthusiasm, exhilaration... This is "feel-good" music par excellence!!
The Waltz is the most played/known piece of the set, and rightly so, for it is so powerful, so energetic!
Yet, the Nocturne is, also, lovely, and, as for the Mazurka, I believe it's possibly (in my view) the best of the Suite. It is, again, a waltz but a bit more "unstable" than the first one. There is lightness and a freshness that makes the Mazurka stand out.
Here it is:



 

Saturday, November 3

Hamelin on Practicing

I just discovered this very interesting video, where the great vistuoso pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin says some really helpful and insighful things about practicing

Here is something he said, which I immediately wrote down... 

"Some of the most effective practicing that I do is when I take a walk. Because then I cannot help thinking about the work that I am doing, and the music will start playing in my head, and then all kind of new things will happen".