"Is Condi playing Jazz at all? Or is she just thumping her fists down on to the piano keyboard in a random fashion in the only way that someone who is learning to play the piano can?"
You decide for yourself. Check it out.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
From the Vestibular Syndrome Files
Some things just speak for themselves:
"When the sound of sledgehammer on piano was music to my ears"
"When the sound of sledgehammer on piano was music to my ears"
Word
Seattle Post Intelligencer get's it right in this nice write-up: "Pianist Stephen Beus a joy to hear". He caught short changed at the last VC.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Josu de Solaun Soto - Wins Iturbi International Piano Competition
Congratulations!
Josu de Solaun has taken first prize at the Iturbi competition. As the winner he recieves over 20,000 dollars (US), a string of performances in Europe and the United States, and a recording deal. Josu de Solaun is a protege of Cuban virtuso Horacio Gutierrez
in the doctoral program at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC.
Valentina Igoshina of Russia took home the 2nd Prize and Andrei Yaroshinsky, also of Russia, was the third prize winner.
Patrick Hemmerle (France) and Sofia Melikyan shared the prize for "Best Performance of Spanish Music".
Details and more here.
Full list of awards and prizes here (in pdf).
This year's Iturbi was reportedly one of the most exciting and fierce with a high caliber of talent throughout. Congratulations to all.
Josu de Solaun has taken first prize at the Iturbi competition. As the winner he recieves over 20,000 dollars (US), a string of performances in Europe and the United States, and a recording deal. Josu de Solaun is a protege of Cuban virtuso Horacio Gutierrez
in the doctoral program at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC.
Valentina Igoshina of Russia took home the 2nd Prize and Andrei Yaroshinsky, also of Russia, was the third prize winner.
Patrick Hemmerle (France) and Sofia Melikyan shared the prize for "Best Performance of Spanish Music".
Details and more here.
Full list of awards and prizes here (in pdf).
This year's Iturbi was reportedly one of the most exciting and fierce with a high caliber of talent throughout. Congratulations to all.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Gramophone Artist of the Year Award.
Brava !
"Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt has won the 2006 Gramophone Artist of the Year Award.The award, voted on by fans, is presented annually by classical music magazine Gramophone. "
Her Bach is some of the most glorious to be found. (what is it with Canada and Bach?) And she plays a Fazioli !
Link.
She has a fantastic website that's definitely worth a visit. It's here.
"Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt has won the 2006 Gramophone Artist of the Year Award.The award, voted on by fans, is presented annually by classical music magazine Gramophone. "
Her Bach is some of the most glorious to be found. (what is it with Canada and Bach?) And she plays a Fazioli !
Link.
She has a fantastic website that's definitely worth a visit. It's here.
Taste Test: Music and Personality
I recently posted on a recent study that revealed some surprising statistic of sorts about drug use and music taste. Adrian North , author of that study, is now looking to recruit more folks (10,000) for more study of musical taste.
You can participate by visiting his website at the University of Leicester and filling out an online survey.
You find it right here (English) or here (en Espanol)
You can participate by visiting his website at the University of Leicester and filling out an online survey.
You find it right here (English) or here (en Espanol)
Digerati and Classical Music
Just what I suspected all along.
"Fans of classical music have shed their stuffy image and embraced technology, according to Gramophone magazine. A survey of its readers found that 75% use a computer, MP3 player, or digital radio to listen to music. It also discovered that fans over the age of 50 downloaded an average of eleven pieces of music last year. "
I bet that last number will keep on climbing!
"Fans of classical music have shed their stuffy image and embraced technology, according to Gramophone magazine. A survey of its readers found that 75% use a computer, MP3 player, or digital radio to listen to music. It also discovered that fans over the age of 50 downloaded an average of eleven pieces of music last year. "
I bet that last number will keep on climbing!
A Shostakovitch World Premiere
Piano lovers with a bent for the music Shostakovitch likely already know about the two-piano arrangement of 'Babi Yar'. And now they can hear it:
"..Shostakovich made a two-piano version, never published, of his "Babi Yar" Symphony, No. 13, to verse by the Soviet dissident poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko. (The two-piano reduction was, however, used to play the work for Soviet censors in order to get permission for the symphony's first performance.) Thanks to special permission from the composer's widow, a portion of that arrangement is having its world premiere tonight in New York City." Read it here.
"..Shostakovich made a two-piano version, never published, of his "Babi Yar" Symphony, No. 13, to verse by the Soviet dissident poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko. (The two-piano reduction was, however, used to play the work for Soviet censors in order to get permission for the symphony's first performance.) Thanks to special permission from the composer's widow, a portion of that arrangement is having its world premiere tonight in New York City." Read it here.
Not Too Smart
This rates a good chuckle or two:
"A burglar who broke into a house in the Dutch town of Tiel could not resist playing the piano he found there after ransacking the living room, police say. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old thief, his music woke the owner of the house, who called the police. " link
"A burglar who broke into a house in the Dutch town of Tiel could not resist playing the piano he found there after ransacking the living room, police say. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old thief, his music woke the owner of the house, who called the police. " link