I play the violin and the piano. I’m also a songbird.

Usually, I have phases where I’m completely obsessed with one instrument (I still practice the other 2) but I do it more out of necessity than true and deep devotion. Right now, I’ve been in the piano phase.

I’ve been practicing 5 hours a day – I can’t get enough. I’ve had piano lessons since I was two and I’ve rediscovered Rachmaninov and Chopin for myself. As a teenager I learned all the Chopin Etudes, Nocturnes, Ballades, Impromtus and Mazurkas and I still know most of them by heart, but I’ve now I’ve come to love them so deeply that I can’t stop pouring myself into the music and the piano.

Rachmaninov has always been one of my all-time favorites. His Preludes and Etudes are to die for – especially before Christmas I enjoy the melancholy, the pain and the play between dark and light.

The violin has had to take a second seat for the last couple of weeks – but I’ll be back obsessing about Saint-Saëns, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Paganini in no time.

And I can’t thank my parents enough for introducing me to music early on – for sharing their love for instruments and music with us kids. It’s been more than a blessing. It’s been everything for almost all my life.

Thank you.

And Merry Christmas to all.

PS: Go and listen to the Harp-Concert by François-Adrien Boiëldieu – it’s simply marvelous.

Saturday 28 November 2009 at 7.00pm

Symphony Hall, Birmingham +44 (0)121-780 3333

Andris Nelsons  conductor
Nikolai Lugansky  piano

Liadov: The Enchanted Lake 7′
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 44′
Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 36′

Dvorák always insisted that he liked nothing more than listening to a Czech village band. And no wonder, if they sounded anything like the slow movement of his glorious Eighth Symphony. Forget the New World, this is Dvorák celebrating the old world with lilting tunes and utterly irresistible charm. Andris Nelsons sets the mood with another Slavic fairytale; Liadov’s ravishing Enchanted Lake, before joining pianist Nikolai Lugansky to scale the Everest of romantic piano concertos – Rachmaninov’s epic Third Concerto, premiered 100 years ago tonight and still as thrilling as ever! www.cbso.co.uk

(Long service awards given tonight to:

Twenty years….Eduardo Vassallo, cello; Heather Bradshaw, violin; Peter Hill, Timpani; Christopher Yates, Viola.

Thirty years….Pete Dyson, Horn.)

 Review by David Hart, Birmingham Post:

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/music-in-birmingham/2009/12/04/review-cbso-great-romantics-at-symphony-hall-65233-25322850/

“When it comes to painting pictures in music Andris Nelsons is in his element. Liadov’s tone poem The Enchanted Lake, the magical, ravishingly played opener to Saturday’s concert, was so delicately defined you could almost see diaphanous forms emerging from the orchestral mists.” …

And Naxos will give it to you, so you can enjoy this year’s russian Waldbühne: Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Rachmaninov…. rich, don’t you think?  Here is a preview:

Eén Duitser en één Rus deze week centraal
Twee totaal verschillende componisten staan deze week centraal op de voor het programma Composer of the week, respectievelijk Componist van de week centraal: via BBC Radio 3 kunt u gedurende de werkdagen van deze week, van maandag 23 tot en met vrijdag 27 november, op de gebruikelijke tijden — ’s middags tussen 13:00 uur — en 14:00 uur onze tijd, en in de herhaling, als laatste programma-onderdeel van de dag, tussen 23:00 uur en middernacht, alweer onze tijd — kennisnemen van delen uit het oeuvre van de Duitse componist Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925).
In eigen land presenteert de Vara op Radio 4, tijdens deze zelfde dagen, steeds tussen 19:30 uur en 20:00 uur gedeelten uit de muzikale productie van de enerzijds veelzijdige, vooral in sommige geledingen der kritiek nog steeds omstreden Russische musicus. Dat is begrijpelijk als je luistert naar de symfonieën en de werken voor piano en orkest: banale rimram. Daartegenover staat echter onomstotelijk vast dat deze Rus over een enorme dosis meesterschap beschikte: daartoe luistere men naar diens Vespers, alsmede zijn solostukken voor piano en de meeste van zijn liederen betreft.

The news of my death spread quickly and soon people came from far and wide to pay their respects. A grief stricken public thronged the city streets, wailing and tearing at their hair. Poets and politicians came to lay flowers at my door; many had to be carried away. Dumbstruck, nobody was able to articulate the tragedy of it all, the terrible and immense sense of loss.

I was drinking in a bar with strangers, watching it being reported on the news. My friends and family were dragged before the cameras, wiping away tears as they paid tribute to my memory. They said they would try to remember me just as I was; that they would aspire to the high example that I set. Eventually I started to heckle the television.

Looking back, I should have been more discreet. The barman told me to show some respect. The television reflected off his big bald head; I could see my last girlfriend there, upturned on his crown, weeping, inconsolable with grief. He frowned at me.

“Don’t I know you someplace?”

“Ain’t you the one off the telly?” asked the drunk slumped beside me at the bar.

The barman made a face. “Celebrity, eh? We used to get that fat guy in here before he died.” He leant closer, peering into my eyes, fixing me with a professional gaze. There was a pig tattooed on his neck. “You know. The fat one. The fat dead one. Whassisface.”

I said that I didn’t know, that I didn’t have the faintest idea.

The barman insisted, said he’d died on the job; common knowledge; everyone knew. The barman looked to the drunk and bet that he knew; that if he was good for nothing else in this world then at least he’d know that. But he didn’t. The drunk shrugged apologetically. The barman turned away in disgust, shouting to somebody else in the corner of the room. They didn’t know either. Several other customers joined in the speculation. Nobody knew.

The barman swore; his contempt was becoming too much for him. His pig was twitching.

The drunk turned back to me. He looked suspicious; his day was going downhill. “Ain’t you the one off the telly?”

I pointed to the screen; there was no mistaking it.

“Here’s to me,” I said, raising a glass.

The drunk raised his glass too.

On the screen, a girl I’d once slept with was reading an emotional poem and playing an acoustic guitar. She wasn’t very good; I felt a little bit embarrassed for her. An unflattering photograph of my face was shown behind her while she sang; it looked like I was winking. The barman squinted and did a double take.

“Holymarymuvvagod,” he said, seeming impressed. ”I guess the next drink’s on the house.”

It was nice while it lasted, but it didn’t last long; eventually I was found and removed. I couldn’t really complain: I’d had a good innings, put myself about; had a reasonable time, I supposed.

My coffin was exquisite, too; it fitted a treat. The barman and the drunk waved me goodbye. I waved back, pulling a look of mock-exasperation as I went.

“But I’m not even dead,” I laughed.

The barman and the drunk laughed too. The undertakers smiled politely. Everybody seemed pleased. I was loaded into the hearse. I was interested to see that a number of my possessions had been wrapped in bandages and placed there already. I could tell from its muffled growls that my cat was very angry indeed.

Crowds lined the route of my cortege. Women beat themselves over the head; men fired rifles into the air. It was only then that I started to worry about getting buried alive; I began to get a little annoyed. A pianist started playing Rachmaninov as the coffin was lowered into the ground. Frankly, I wasn’t impressed. I couldn’t believe it was going to end this way, with Rachmaninov being played all fingers and thumbs, and an angry cat grumbling away at my side.

Fortunately the mistake was realised, and not a moment before time; I wouldn’t like to have imagined the worst.

Marti seara ne vedem in Fire pentru un concert caritabil de la ora 21.00. Acesta este probabil ultimul concert KinEthics in componenta actuala, urmatorul va fi la Balul CNSS.

Intrarea este 5 ron, dar banii vor fi donati in integralitate unui Orfelinat, asa ca daca nu veniti pentru noi, macar veniti pentru copii.

De asemenea, am postat un nou articol pe blogul generozitatii culturale http://glasuri.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/the-music-guy-serghei-vasilievici-rachmaninoff/

Cheers,

Tiberiu

Eu sunt aici ca sa va indrumez catre comorile ascunse de pe youtube in materie de muzica clasica (si nu numai), asa ca data viitoare cand va plictisiti si nu stiti ce sa cauti, cititi unul dintre posturile mele.

Rachmaninoff este recunoscut ca fiind unul dintre cei mai mari compozitori ai lumii moderne, iar de fiecare data cand ii asculti muzica, gandul iti fuge catre o Rusie acoperita de zapada si un pahar cu vodka. Insa muzica lui nu se opreste aici, el este recunoscut ca fiind unul dintre ultimii compozitori din curentul romantic al muzicii clasice, iar muzica sa ii va inspira pe multi, inclusiv pe Scriabin si Prokofiev.

Operele sale sunt complexe atat ca structura, cat si din punct de vedere tehnic, nefiind indeajuns sa stii a zdrangani un pic la pian. Un lucru ce-l il face a fi cu adevarat inovator sunt acordurile sale complexe, care necesita o putere ridicata in degete, si tonul pe care il scoate din pian.

Trivia:

- a fost dirijor al Teatrului Balshoi

- dupa moartea lui Scriabin, a inceput un turneu unde canta numai muzica acestuia, desi publicul ii cerea opere proprii.

- in concerte, nu a avut (aproape) nicio greseala, cunoscut fiind pentru acuratetea sa

- memoria sa era incredibila, putand memora melodii intregi doar dupa o singura auditie

Dupa toate acestea, sper ca v-am prins macar putin atentia, asa ca mai jos va las una dintre operele sale.

Cheers! This is the music guy,

Tiberiu

One of my favorite things to do is to watch my youngest sister do this:

I am visiting my family for a few hours, since they live nearer to the airport than I do and I have a very early flight… As always it is an interesting experience. I am constantly amazed by the cleverness of my younger sisters. They are writers, artists, puzzle solvers, music teachers, and hair dressers. The pianists also composes. They have active social lives, hold down jobs, and get their school work done. They’ve been known to compete with me in the reading area…and win. It’s inspiring.

I got a concert out of my little sister tonight – she played a couple of Nocturnes by Rachmaninov, and some Chopin, as well as one of her own creations. She has tiny little hands, but they move so fast and make such lovely music. She won third place in the Pine Tree Piano Competition this spring, and participated in the Portland International Piano Festival in June. Can you tell that I am proud?

This little interlude with my family is the perfect start to my trip. Now I’m off to bed, although sleep may only come via The Savage Detectives – after a morning spent researching Atlanta even more, I’m plenty excited and eager to start exploring it!

With the Monster…

Sergei Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Opus 30.  Vladimir Horowitz, Piano; Zubin Mehta, Conductor.
New York Philharmonic; September 24, 1978; Avery Fisher Hall.

As any regular reader might have observed, the Cowboy is a bit of a sentimental sap.  So it should come as no surprise that one of his longtime favorites is the Monster.  Yes, it’s all show and flash and raw sentimentality, but what’s wrong with that?

Vladimir Horowitz made the first-ever recording of the Rach3 in 1930.  This performance at Lincoln Center is the last time he played the piece.  In case you want to quibble about some wrong notes here and there, take note:  he was 75 at the time.

The Rachmaninov 3rd begins rather simply, but it soon takes the performer and listener on a wild ride.

It is difficult to listen to the entire piece with dry eyes.  Here’s Yefim Bronfman discussing it.

Money quote:

“Just think that he [Rachmaninov] could come up with such an incredible idea of writing this monster.  First of all it’s one of the most beautiful melodies ever written, in the beginning of the concerto.  It is really a marvel in melody, melancholy, expressivity.”

There is much debate about the “best” performance and the “best” recording.  The Cowboy is partial to Evgeny Kissin’s interpretation.  Kissin’s understated control, given his youth, creates a hidden tension that the Cowboy likes.  Perhaps the most widely praised recording is Ashkenazy in 1963, but you have to put up with the recording technology of the day.

Enjoy.

Here are some of Stravinsky’s thoughts on other composers, taken from Robert Craft’s less than reliable book Conversations with Igor Stravinsky:

I remember seeing Mahler in St. Petersburg. His concert there was a triumph. Rimsky was still alive, I believe, but he wouldn’t have attended because a work by Tchaikovsky was on the programme (I think it was Manfred, the dullest piece imaginable). Mahler also played some Wagner fragments and a symphony of his own. Mahler impressed me greatly, himself and his conducting.

I would like to admit all Strauss operas to whichever purgatory punishes triumphant banality. Their musical substance is cheap and poor; it cannot interest a musician today. I am glad that young musicians today have come to appreciate the lyric gift in the songs of the composer Strauss despised, and is more significant in our music than he is: Gustav Mahler.

da qui

Mi hanno insegnato fede, speranza e carità. Fatico, a volte, a collegarle con il mondo. La fiducia è svanita: si vive a colpi di scoop, chiunque può tradirti, registrarti, denunciare. Il risvolto è fare e dire come si fosse in piazza, votati a una trasparenza obbligatoria: apprezzabile, ma non virtuosa, perché senza libertà non c’è virtù. Sperare è da folli, sapendo che i meccanismi ben oliati della politica mondiale vanno compatti verso la distruzione del pianeta a vantaggio dei soliti noti. Amare è il verbo dei romanzi rosa e di una televisione commerciale abietta nella sua volgarità. Tre sono le cose che rimangono, dice Paolo di Tarso nella prima lettera ai Corinzi. La domanda è: dove? C’è ancora qualcuno che raccoglie un testimone così scomodo? Quale spartito abbiamo perso nel disordine del mondo?

Ieri si-a serbat ziua de nastere unul din cei mai buni si mai vechi prieteni ai mei, sa-i zicem R.

Atunci cand l-am cunoscut pe R. prima data, el avea 8 ani, purta pantaloni de catifea reiata si o vesta prea larga pentru el, fara nasturi, din mohair. Eu aveam 7 ani, aveam carare pe-o parte si purtam papion. Amandoi asteptam sa ne vina randul sa intram in scena, sa ne asezam la pian si sa cantam “Banul Maracine” sau “Ceata lui Pitigoi”.

Azi el e om insurat, la casa lui, cu un inceput de chelie si tot cu o vesta prea larga pentru el. Eu am schimbat papionul pe tot soiul de medalioane, port ochelari si cant Rachmaninov in loc de “Ceata lui Pitigoi”.

Ieri, la petrecere, am realizat doua lucruri. Am realizat cat de mult am “imbatranit”, uitandu-ma in jur si vazand feţele unor prieteni si colegi de demult; mai anoste, cu priviri mai pierdute, cu expresii faciale mai sedate, cu atitudini mai blazate, mai lipsite de pofta de viata, mai plafonate, mai schimbate. Si am realizat ca atunci cand intre niste oameni exista o fractura temporala de ordinul anilor, toate lucrurile, afinitatile sau pasiunile comune de candva, de demult, se reduc la “Ce mai faci?”
- Ce mai faci?
- Bine, tu?
- Bine si eu.
- Aha.
( pauza 30 de secunde )
- Si ia zi, ce mai faci?
- Bine… tie cum iti merge?
- Bine… destul de bine…
- Bravo.

Pe masura ce avanseaza in varsta, pe masura ce isi parcurg maturitatea, majoritatea oamenilor – si realizez ca nici eu nu sunt absolvit de vina asta – isi inchid tot mai tare orizontul, universul personal. Devin tot mai imuni si mai nepasatori la universurile celorlalti. Incep sa nu mai inteleaga alti oameni, si e ciudat, pentru ca nu pierd capacitatea asta intr-un fel care sa se compenseze cu intelegerea propriei persoane, cu aprofundarea cunoasterii de sine, ci din contra. Nu cred ca o face nimeni cu rautate. Dar cu precautie. Cu teama. Cu vesnica povara a experientei care ne invata sa nu fim vulnerabili, usor ridiculizabili, sensibili sau empatici. De altfel, la ritmul existentei noastre, nu putem fi prezenti in vietile altora. Dar platim un pret pentru asta: ajungem sa nu mai fim prezenti in propria viata.

Concluzia serii a dat-o urmatorul dialog:

A: Ultima oara cand am vorbit cu T. eram tot la ziua lui R., acum 10 ani, si vorbeam de jocuri pe calculator.
V: ( privind pe deasupra ochelarilor, ca un bun psiholog ) Asa…
A: ( trist )Acum am stat iar cu el de vorba, si tot ce-am discutat a fost numa’ despre taxe si chitante… si firma… si impozite… si contabili…
V: Pai si astea nu sunt tot un fel de joaca?

En ce moment j’ai l’impression d’être l’héroïne d’un de mes yaois favoris… évidemment, le rôle du garçon uke est à transposer au féminin… après tout d’après le test du Be Boy magazine 2, je serai un Uke rebel…
Enfin bref, tout ça pour dire que j’ai l’impression d’être dans un manga avec une pouf aux grands yeux… sauf que c’est moi la pouf en l’occurence… Arf je suis l’héroïne d’un genre d’histoire que je ne supporte pas où une fille des plus banale tombe comme par hasard amoureuse du plus incroyable des mecs n’existant pas dans la réalité et, comme d’un fait exprès, celui-ci n’ose pas lui avouer son amour mais se bat avec son meilleur ami pour qu’elle le choisisse lui…
Sauf que dans ma réalité à moi, j’pense pas que ce soit réellement ça… J’en suis encore au stade… Oui mais … je ressens quoi exactement ?
En fait je n’en suis qu’aux deux premières pages du shojo… et à 0.5 d’un yaoi… vu qu’en général, ça tergiverse moins de leur côtè, les seme aimant beaucoup (trop ?) l’action… ce qui gache parfois le charme d’une histoire et parfois… on attend que ça… perverses !!!
Bref, tout ça pour dire que c’est le bordel côtè sentimental, ça change de mon désert… dans un sens je le regrette un peu, on dira que y a une grosse tempête de sable quoi… Mais j’ai pas core trouvé l’oasis…

Enfin bref, j’use de métaphore et autre mais ‘jexplique même pas le problème… En même temps j’ai pas franchement envie de l’expliquer, j’en ai discuté avec Mamzelle G… Elle trouve que ça me déprime et me conseille de ne pas m’accrocher à de vains espoirs… mais dans un sens je crois que c’est un peu trop tard… Bwoh c’est pas si grave, je ne suis pas encore prête à faire comme Juliette… (en même temps … son plan était vraiment mal foutu… mais bon, j’ai déjà choqué, voire déçu,  mon prof de littérature du lycée en lui disant que je n’avais pas aimé roméo et juliette, j’vais pas recommencer ici…).

Bon tout ça pour dire que… pas grand chose en fait… J’en suis juste à un moment où j’me dis que mes seuls amours essentiels sur lesquels il faudrait que je me concentre sont ce cher alexandre-raymond, le basson, et mon tendre chat qui a l’air d’avoir envie de calins en ce moment… ou qui a capté ma détresse affective… oooh le n’amour de chat ♥… ou alors il veut sa bouffe… ce qui n’est pas à exclure non plus.

Enfin demain est un autre jour, et puis j’aurai pas trop le temps de me soucier de tout ça. J’donne mon premier cours particulier de basson à une petite élève de mon prof, me sens toute stressée, et ensuite nuit de l’animation avec rogette, sa soeur et ptet Môssieur M, enfin s’ils daignent me donner des nouvelles, vu que je ne suis au courant de rien…
Et puis j’ai un projet à long terme aussi, j’vais ptet partir à berlin avec Mamzelle J, mais faut encore que j’trouve l’argent et un logement… Ca va être fun… Ca me stresse aussi… mais moins…

Sur ce je décampe… j’me suis vidée, j’ai pas grand chose d’autre à raconter, j’aurais pu parler de mercredi, de la joie de retrouver une Miss A qui délire avec moi pour un oui ou un non mais l’effet a été gaché par Monsieur P qui a montré à sa “keupine” l’intérieur d’un piano et qui bourrinait dessus comme d’hab… (en fait ça devait être bien ce qu’il jouait mais j’ai trop de ressentiment… et puis j’apprécie moyennement qu’on m’oblige à prendre parti pour lui ou pour Monsieur Q, l’un comme l’autre me gave… enfin bref ceci est une autre histoire même pas digne d’intérêt, les querelles entre les gens de ma licence ne m’intéresse vraiment pas…).
Bon, j’peux retourner “éplucher” mes CDs, j’viens de voir que j’avais la sonate “appassionata” de beethoven qui trainait dans un coffret de 6 CDs, mais j’ai comme la mauvaise impression qu’elle n’est pas entière… et puis en ce moment façon, c’est le concerto pour piano n°3 de rachmaninov qui me plaît le plus… demain ce sera sans doute autre chose mais en attendant, je fais plaisir à mes oreilles.

Wed 7 Oct 7:30pm at Symphony Hall

St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra
Alexander Dmitriev conductor
Barry Douglas piano

Tchaikovsky Excerpts from Sleeping Beauty
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1
Rachmaninov Symphony No 3

Three sumptuous Russian works performed by an orchestra which has this music firmly implanted in its DNA. Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable ballet music complements his First Piano Concerto, which opens with one of the world’s best-known melodies, whilst Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony is suffused with glowing autumnal colours and nostalgic passion.  www.thsh.co.uk

Classic FM’s Anne-Marie Minhall, says of tonight’s recommended concert: “Two giants of Russian Romanticism dominate proceedings tonight, neither afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto still packs out concert halls around the world.”

Encores:- Barry Douglas played Brahms Intermezzo

SPSOrchestra played two encores Schubert-”Moments Musicaux”, and “Spanish Dance” from Rosamunde 

Alicia de Larrocha / Fuente: www.abc.es

El viernes 25 de septiembre falleció, en el Hospital Quirón de Barcelona, la pianista española Alicia de Larrocha. Nacida en aquella misma ciudad, el 23 de mayo de 1923, inició su instrucción musical a la edad de cinco años en la academia de Frank Marshall, lo que automáticamente la emparentó a la tradición de Enrique Granados, pues Marshall fue discípulo del compositor español.

Poco tiempo después fue descubierta por Joaquín Turina que la hizo debutar en el marco de la Exposición Internacional de Barcelona en 1929. Se dice que era tan pequeña que fue necesario agregar calzas a los pedales para que pudiera utilizarlos. Su debut con una gran orquesta se llevó acabo en 1934 con la Sinfónica de Madrid.

Amiga de Victoria de los Ángeles, años más tarde ambas contribuirían a difundir en el mundo la canción española producto del genio de compositores como De Falla, Turina, Mompou y Montsalvatge. En 1940 De Larrocha comenzó a dar conciertos por España. Su debut internacional se produjo en 1947 con una gira europea, aunque su reconocimiento internacional llegó en 1954 cuando realizó una serie de presentaciones por los Estados Unidos con la Orquesta Filarmónica de Los Angeles y Alfred Wallenstein.

Además de difundir el repertorio español, es recordada por sus interpretaciones de Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Debussy y Fauré. Quizá la obra por la que será más recordada es por su ejecución de la Suite Iberia de Albéniz. Su estilo fue descrito como una mezcla de virtuosismo y gracia, a pesar de que sus manos parecían demasiado pequeñas para interpretar el gran repertorio. Al cumplir 80 años de edad, De Larrocha realizó una gira de despedida. Su salud comenzó a deteriorarse hace un par de años después de sufrir fractura de cadera.

Entre los reconocimientos obtenidos a lo largo de su trayectoria se encuentra 4 premios Grammy, el Príncipe de Asturias recibido en 1994 y la Orden de las Artes y las Letras de Francia.

Redacción Clásica México

I have never written with music playing in the background, but I’ve heard that a lot of people do that, so I tried a little experiment.  The following was written while listening to Rachmaninov’s Symphony #2, Movement 3, performed by the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn. Suntory Hall, Tokyo, 2007.

I would love to hear what you think, so please comment.  Thank you!

*******************************************************

* The sonnet was written in 1977, and is a copywritten work, published in an anthology.  All copyright laws apply.

On live music…

It is impossible to capture in a tape all the excitement or the nuances and colours that both performers and audience feel during a live performance. I guess that’s the reason why,  in an era when everything is recorded, people still go to concerts.

Nevertheless, recordings are a wonderful tool to bring to live a moment, an instant that if it wasn’t for the tapes and CDs, would vanish in the air… flow and never return entirely to us; only recreated again in our memory but just as a shadow of what it was and doesn’t exist anymore. Indeed, music is the ephemeral art par exelance.

But alas! modern times! I have today received the CD of the Gold Medal concert that took place last May at the Barbican Hall, where I had the opportunity to accompany the Portuguese soprano Susana Gaspar. I have uploaded these files, and now that I finally (!!!) know how to do it, I promise to keep this site up to date.

With this, today I invite you all to recreate that moment so special for both of us that night in the Barbican. Songs by Duparc, Schubert, Mahler and Rachmaninov, that you can hear in the AUDIO (http://maiteaguirre.wordpress.com/audio/) section of this website.

I hope you enjoy them! 

Thursday 24 September 2009 at 7.30PM

Andris Nelsons  conductor
Charlotte Hellekant  mezzo-soprano

Ravel: La Valse 13′
Berlioz: Les Nuits d’Été 32′
Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances 35′

It may be his last work, but Rachmaninov’s orchestral showpiece is bursting with energy and great melodies, a tribute to the glamour of Ormandy’s Philadelphia Orchestra. Ravel was also fascinated by recreating dance forms in his orchestral music, and his 1920 ballet La Valse is the most extreme example, the point at which the old Viennese waltz eats itself. Ravel’s love of orchestral colour owes a huge debt to Berlioz, whose beautiful song-cycle is sung by one of today’s leading mezzos.

Another wonderful concert from the CBSO. It was lovely to hear Andris’ thoughts on the music to come, and just nice that he chats with the audience, sort of makes you feel included, as though the audience presence is a part of the evening, the music, and not just incidental. I like Ravel’s La Valse, a waltz that is sort of collapsing in on itself, rich in emotion, with underlying familiar rhythms. The orchestra certainly brought out all the turbulent layers, so that I felt swept along and under it all in a way that never quite happens when listening to the CD!

I wasn’t familiar with Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Été having just listened to it on Naxos a couple of times a few days before the concert. It is a collection of poems sung by a mezzo-soprano, with a fairly large but subdued orchestra. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Charlotte Hellekant (in a silk yellow gold dress that was like a shot of autumn sunshine on the stage) has a beautiful warm tone to her voice and acted out the words so it wasn’t a mere sing-along or technical performance but a communication and sharing. The orchestral accompaniment was sympathetic and brought out the shades, sadness and vulnerabilities in the poems. Quite lovely, and I’m not (yet) a big fan of opera singing!

I love Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances and the CBSO with Andris Nelsons really gave a beautiful rendition tonight, with much poignancy. However energetic and dramatic Andris may be, he also manages to coax out the multi-faceted emotions, aching beauty and vulnerability of a piece, so that you feel taken on such a wonderful musical journey. The CBSO is full of truly talented and amazing musicians and all credit to them for finding and inviting Maestro Nelsons to join them, and for being brave enough to go where he may take them in the wonderful world of music.

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 & 3
Berliner Philharmoniker : Claudio Abbado , Lilya Zilberstein : Piano
Label: Deutsche Grammophon รหัสแผ่นซีดี 439 930-2 GH
โดย นิวัต พุทธประสาท

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2&3

เมื่อครั้งที่ผมเริ่มหัดฟังเพลงแบบจริงจัง ผมเริ่มฟังเพลงคลาสสิกเป็นแนวเพลงแรก ๆ ทั้งที่มีคนเคยพูดเอาไว้ว่าดนตรีคลาสสิกต้องปีนบันไดฟัง คำพูดนั้นติดอยู่ในหูผม แต่ความที่ชอบสิ่งท้าทาย ผมจึงเลือกฟังดนตรีคลาสสิกโดยไม่สนใจคำเตือนใด ๆ สมัยที่เริ่มฟังใหม่ ๆ ผมเริ่มฟังจากซิมโฟนี่ของบีโธเฟ่น โมสาร์ท ฟังทั้งจากเทป แผ่นซีดี รวมถึงคอนเสิร์ตของวง Bangkok Symphony Orchestra เกือบทุกรายการ และเมื่อได้ฟังเพลงคลาสสิกมาก ๆ เข้าคำพูดที่ว่าปีนบันไดฟังแทบจะฟังไม่ขึ้น เว้นแต่ตอนที่ไปดูคอนเสิร์ตที่ศูนย์วัฒนธรรม ตั๋วคอนเสิร์ตสำหรับนักเรียนต้องเดินขึ้นบันไดไปถึงชั้นสาม (ฮา) ดนตรีคลาสสิกไม่ได้ยากเย็นแสนเข็ญอย่างที่ใคร ๆ พูดกัน ประเด็นนี้ผู้อ่านสามารถพิสูจน์ได้ด้วยตัวเอง เพราะบทเพลงคลาสสิกเต็มไปด้วยความไพเราะของท่วงทำนอง บางเพลงเป็นเพลงที่เราคุ้นหู เพราะฟังจากสื่ออื่น ๆ มาตั้งแต่เด็ก ๆ เช่นในภาพยนตร์ โฆษณา รวมถึงริงโทนโทรศัพท์มือถือ เราฟังดนตรีคลาสสิกโดยที่เราไม่รู้ตัวมาก่อนด้วยซ้ำ

และเหนือสิ่งอื่นใด ดนตรีคลาสสิกยังบอกเล่าความรู้สึกของคีตกวีในห้วงเวลานั้นได้อย่างหมดจด ไม่มีภาษาใดจะบรรยายได้เท่ากับตัวโน๊ตและการบรรเลงอีกแล้ว
ฉบับนี้ผมขอแนะนำ Piano Concerto ที่นักฟังเพลงคลาสสิกรู้จักและประจักษ์แจ้งอยู่แล้วว่าทั้งไพเราะ เต็มไปด้วยเนื้อหาหนักแน่น และอารมณ์ความรู้สึกที่โรแมนติกจนถึงเศร้าเหงา จากบทประพันธ์ของคีตกวีชาวรัสเซียอย่าง Rachmanunov รัคมานินอฟ นอกจากจะเป็นคีตกวีแล้ว เขายังเป็นนักเปียโนที่มีฝีมือดีคนหนึ่ง ว่ากันว่านิ้วมือของเขายาวกว่านักเปียโนปกติ จึงทำให้แต่งเพลงสำหรับเปียโนมีความยากกว่าเปียโนโซนาต้าหรือคอนแชร์โต้ธรรมดา

ก่อนที่รัคมานินอฟจะแต่งเพลงเปียโนคอนแชร์โต้หมายเลขสอง เขาพบกับความผิดหวังในด้านการประพันธ์เพลง ถึงขั้นหมดกำลังใจที่จะแต่งเพลงใด ๆ คล้ายคนหมดไฟเต็มไปด้วยความเศร้าหดหู่ จนกระทั่งต้องเข้ารับการบำบัดจิตจากจิตแพทย์ หลังการบำบัดจิต เขาจึงได้แต่ง Piano Concerto หมายเลขสอง ในบันไดเสียง C minor ขึ้นมา ในปี 1901 และเพลงนี้เองที่ทำให้เขากลับมามีกำลังใจสำหรับการประพันธ์เพลง จนกระทั่งบทเพลงของเขาเป็นที่รู้จักข้ามฝั่งไปถึงอเมริกา

บทเพลงของรัคมานินอฟถูกนำไปประกอบในภาพยนตร์หลายเรื่อง รวมถึงดัดแปลงไปเป็นเพลงป๊อป สำหรับแผ่นที่ผมนำมาพูดถึงนี้ ผมคิดว่าเหมาะสำหรบผู้เริ่มฟังงานของรัคมานินอฟเป็นอย่างมาก ต้องบอกว่าการฟังดนตรีคลาสสิกนั้นสำหรับผมมีสามประเด็น ประเด็นแรกความไพเราะของบทประพันธ์ ประเด็นที่สองการบรรเลงของวงออร์เครสตร้า และประเด็นสุดท้ายการตีความของผู้เล่น อันรวมถึงผู้ควบคุมวง และผู้เล่นบรรเลงเดี่ยวนั่นเอง

Lilya Zilberstein

การตีความในแผ่นซีดีชุดนี้ถือว่าหมดจดยอดเยี่ยม ผสมผสานทั้งความไพเราะ วง Berliner Philharmoniker ถือเป็นวงคุณภาพที่เชื่อถือได้ ยิ่งได้ผู้ควบคุมวงอย่าง Claudio Abbado ซึ่งมีความสามารถเป็นเอกอุอยู่แล้วจึงทำให้การบรรเลงเต็มไปด้วยเอกภาพของเสียงดนตรี ช่วงหนักเบาของเพลงมีความสำคัญไม่น้อย ทำให้ความรู้สึกของบทเพลงได้ถูกถ่ายทอดได้อย่างมีอารมณ์ความรู้สึก

ส่วนการบรรเลงเดี่ยวเปียโน เป็นฝีมือของนักเปียโนสาวฝีมือดีชาวรัสเซียนาม Lilya Zilberstein เธอเกิดในกรุงมอสโคว เมืองหลวงแห่งศิลปะหลังม่านเหล็กในปี 1965 ในระหว่างปี 1971-1983 เธอเรียนในสถาบันดนตรีชั้นนำของรัสเซีย และได้รับรางวัลชนะเลิศในการประกวดเปียโนสำคัญมากมาย จากนั้นเริ่มออกแสดงคอนเสิร์ตในประเทศต่าง ๆ ตั้งแต่อิตลี สหรัฐอเมริกา เยอรมันนี ออสเตรีย ฝรั่งเศสรวมถึงญี่ปุ่น นอกจากนั้นยังอัดแผ่นเสียงกับดอยซ์แกรมมาโฟนอีกหลายแผ่น

การบรรเลงเดี่ยวของเธอในอัลบัมนี้เธอเล่นได้อย่างงดงาม มีความลงตัว เหมือนเข้าไปนั่งในใจของรัคมานินอฟ เพราะเท่าที่ผมฟังเปียโนคอนแชร์โต้ หมายเลขสอง มาหลายแผ่น ผมประทับใจการตีความของLilya มากที่สุด โดยเฉพาะช่วงที่เธอเล่นคลอกับวงออร์เครสตร้าในช่วงต้นเพลง เต็มไปด้วยความหวานปนเศร้า บรรเลงเหมือนความไม่แน่ใจ ไม่มั่นใจในตัวเอง ก่อนที่จะขมวดปมไปสู่ความคลี่คลายในช่วงก่อนจบมูฟเม้นท์แรก

Rachmaninov

ตัวโน้ตที่หวานนี้เองทำให้ผู้ฟังเต็มไปด้วยอารมณ์โหยหา และอยากจะได้สัมผัสกับบทเพลงเปียโนคอนแชร์โต้บทนี้ซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าโดยไม่รู้เบื่อ

การตีความในบทบรรเลงเดี่ยวถือว่ามีความสำคัญไม่น้อย ผู้เล่นแนวเดี่ยวมีโอกาสในการตีความ และแสดงถึงทักษะของตนไปพร้อมกันด้วย หากการตีความเกินกว่าที่ศิลปินประพันธ์ไว้ บทเพลงก็ไม่สามารถเข้าถึงวิญญาณของบทเพลงได้ แต่ไม่ได้หมายความว่าผู้ประพันธ์จะปิดกั้นมิให้ศิลปินได้แสดงฝีมือไม่ แต่ผู้แสดงเดี่ยวจะไม่แสดงฝีมือเพื่ออวดอีโก้ของตัวให้อยู่เหนือบทประพันธ์ นอกจากจะต้องทำความเข้าใจการตีความบทเพลงอย่างถึงแก่นแล้ว สิ่งที่ศิลปินต้องต้องคำนึงถึงตลอดเวลาก็คือจังหวะของบทเพลง และวิสัยทัศน์ (Vision) เพราะทั้งหมดคือเนื้อหาที่คีตกวีต้องการสื่อให้ผู้ฟังเข้าถึง ส่วนการตีความทำให้ดนตรีคลาสสิกดำรงอยู่จนถึงทุกวันนี้ ทั้งสองส่วนจึงต้องเดินไปด้วยกันเป็นเนื้อเดียวกัน มิใช่เดินคู่ขนาน และการบรรเลงเปียโนของ Lilya ชุดนี้เธอทำได้อย่างครบถ้วนน่ายกย่อง ด้วยทักษะ การตีความ ที่ผสมผสานได้อย่างลงตัว เป็นแผ่นซีดีที่น่าฟังและน่าสะสมเป็นอย่างยิ่ง

คุณภาพการบันทึกเสียง : 7
คุณค่าทางดนตรี : 9

One day I asked a friend if it would be possible for a band to successfully depart from a trademark sound to a polar opposite. This question came about when I read that Muse were big fans of 311. This gave me pause. A long, head-scratching pause.

What else is possible? Could the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beirut switch musical styles? Could Pearl Jam make an electronic dance album? Could Dave Matthews Band try out nu-metal? I know the suggestions sound preposterous but, if the transition were done masterfully, then what would be the harm? If I enjoy such a wide spectrum of musical styles, then why couldn’t I accept one band that jumped around from style to style?

Genre-hopping music strikes me as such a positive that I am puzzled at how fans react to the musical evolution of their favorite artists. It becomes personal, this deviation from the comfort zone. It’s okay to transform into something more polished, more aggressive, or to even exhibit the slightest nuances of experimentation. But any marked revision in sound is usually met with obscenities and protest — and that’s a best-case scenario.

Yeah, it’s personal. Fans are loyal to rabid proportions until bands “defy” them.

To a certain extent, I suppose I am the same. Sure, I justify my waning interest in U2 with the argument that their sound has been diluted with commercial drivel. Sure, I pine away for the days of “Bad” and “In God’s Country”. But in the end, it truly boils down to my inability to let go of the past and embrace a new mellow sound. My hang-up, not theirs. I shouldn’t expect them to remain zealous rebels in Pilgrim clothing forever.

Change makes music grow.

…

The initial previews of Muse’s The Resistance elicited the less tolerant reaction from me.

It sounded like sing-songy, bombastic showtunes. Seemingly gone was the guitar frenzy of Absolution or the exotic dance sounds of Black Holes and Revelations. It wasn’t the Muse that I knew and loved. I was crestfallen and held out hope that the 30-second previews on iTunes didn’t do the album justice.

They didn’t.

Like your typical classical pieces, and like typical Muse, the songs are comprised of movements, tempo-shifts, and stylistic changes that aren’t conducive to the mini audio extracts you find on iTunes. Each song must be listened to in its entirety. Even segmenting the album into parts degrades the genius behind it. The album is one cohesive unit, not meant to be unraveled or deconstructed.

More piano/synth heavy than previous efforts, this album is majestic, ambitious, operatic and essentially unclassifiable.

Where else could you find a mish-mash of hard rock, classical music, jazz, operatic arias, and…melancholic space rock? Songs about obsessions and the origins of human existence via space aliens and otherworldly things that only Matt Bellamy could string together.

Yes, there are the comparisons to Queen, and yes, unfortunately, there will be irritating comparisons to Radiohead (brilliant but different). That aside, “Undisclosed Desires” evokes 80’s synth pop a la Depeche Mode while “Unnatural Selection” recalls the arpeggiated frenzy of “Muscle Museum,” at least until it halts to a sultry guitar swagger that is more sensual than extraterrestrial.

My favorite track at the moment, “I Belong To You/Mon Coeur S’ouvre A Ta Voix”, dwells somewhere between The Beatles’ “Lady Madonna” and Queen’s “You Take My Breath Away.” Jazzy, playful, and groovy, the piano gives way to a delicate French aria that would make Jeff Buckley proud right before it reverts back to the irresistible tempo and ivory keys.

The aspect of the album that has garnered the most attention, of course, is the 12-min, 3-part symphony – “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture), Symphony Part 2 (Cross-pollination), Symphony Part 3 (Redemption).” Ranging from haunting vocals to ethereal guitar wails, from soaring crescendos to a classical music celebration, “Exogenesis” is unlike anything I have heard in a while. If you can imagine Muse’s “Ruled By Secrecy”, the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Chopin, Pink Floyd, Rachmaninov, and Queen in a single sonic cocktail, then you might have an idea of this song. Absolutely gorgeous.

…

I no longer follow the same musical styles that I did 20 years ago. Why should I expect a band to remain stagnant? It’s only logical that my beloved artists have diverse tastes as well, and it’s only fair that they will reflect their eclectic influences in their music. Most leak it out in little doses here and there, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if a band were to open up the floodgates of diversity, no?

Muse may have culled ideas from some of the greats – from some of my musical muses – but they shattered all of my expectations. They took a sharp turn somewhere, and I love them even more for it.

I Belong To You/Mon Coeur S’ouvre A Ta Voix