Sophie Menter and Liszt Un Sospiro

Sophie Menter (1846-1918) was an awesome pianist, and probably Liszt's favourite female piano pupil.
You can here her perform Liszt Un Sospiro here:

Interestingly she adds a few bars of music in the middle, and changes the timing at the end. The first time I heard it I thought "Ah yes these 19th century pianists were so free". But it turns out it was the composer himself who authorised the changes to his score, and Ms Menter was being a good student, embracing the changing, developing music. 

For more information, let's turn to Rachmaninoff's teacher and cousin, Alexander Siloti. Siloti like Sophie Menter was a pupil of Liszt. In Siloti's edition of this piece (publ Carl Fischer), Siloti notates many extra notes and tweaks which coincide with what Menter plays. Siloti writes p186 "Franz Liszt's playing of this Etude differed greatly from the published version. In fact he changed it so greatly and added so much that was new that I found it impossible to mark every individual change..."

We so often think that music must be a thing, like a statue, static, which we read on the music page and then try to interpret. But it's not like that. It's essence is liquid, like a flowing river. It takes alchemy to conjure up a living interpretation, and courage to depart from the block of ice which is the standard score.

Upcoming Lecture Recital

Piano Mastery Secrets Unlocked 

Part 1: Rachmaninoff and his circle

Lecture recital presented from the keyboard by pianist Kong Tienxi (Matthew Koumis) in English, with visual presentations and simultaneous Mandarin translation (90 minutes total duration)

Works performed include
Liadov / Siloti: I danced with a Mosquito
Tchaikovsky / Pabst: Lullaby Op 16:1
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in G-sharp minor Op 32:12
Strauss / Godowsky: Standchen Op17:2
Rachmaninoff: Lilacs Op 21:5
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C minor Op 23:7

Through what alchemy does the early 20th century Russian school of pianism succeed in touching our hearts so deeply? And what role did literature and painting play in inspiring their piano compositions? Technical elements, including fingering, pedalling, tone production and phrasing, will be explained from the editions, writings and recordings of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943); his piano teacher Alexander Siloti (1863-1945); his senior colleague Paul Pabst (1854-97); and two pianists whom Rachmaninoff greatly admired, Josef Hofmann (1876-1957) and Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938).

 Booking through this link here; Tickets: 300 NTD, unreserved.

Nina Koshetz - Wonderful Russian voice from the past

I have been reading a fascinating biography about the wonderful musician Alexander Siloti, who was a cousin of Rachmaninoff's, and a favourite pupil of Liszt's. The biography mentions Nina Koshetz, a pianist and singer, who counted Horowitz and Rachmaninoff among her accompanists. For more information about her life click here

Koshetz went to America appearing in a few hollywood movies, and even opened a Russian restaurant.
Meanwhile click here to listen to her singing, and sharing a beautiful flavour of Old Russia that goes straight to the soul

PIano Playing Awards 2009

Piano music is " An international language that every nation knows and feels. Schumann calls it the language of soul to soul"
(Simon Barere, radio interview, New Zealand, 1947).
Here are a few highlights for you to enjoy. In the next couple of months I will turn this into a competition for you to vote on your favourite item in different categories.

Best Composer's Piano Playing

First Prize: The Master of Twentieth Century Piano Playing
Rachmaninoff performs his own Elegie Op3:3. Genius Comes Into Your Living Room

Grieg plays his own PIano Sonata. Such naturalness of heartfelt expression, such alive phrasing.

Best Live Performance
Josef Hofmann, Chopin G Minor Ballade, Carnegie Hall 50th Birthday recital.
"There is a technique which liberates and a technique which represses the artistic self. All technique should be a means of expression". (Hofmann, "Piano Playing' 1909, publ. Doubleday).

Best piano playing
Vladimir Sofronitzky plays Scriabin. Married to the daughter of Scriabin after the composer's death. It sounds as if the music is being revealed for the first time, spun out by some mysterious alchemy.

Best transcription performance, three entries:
Josef Lhevinne plays Schulz-Evler's transciption of Strauss's Blue Danube Waltz. Such flawless and musical virtuosity. Those who claim the modern pianist is superior technically to the golden age pianists should study Josef Lhevinne.

Myra Hess plays Bach
A world war 2 legend: while england was at war, London's cultural activity immediately ceased; but pianist Myra Hess persuaded the National Gallery to open its doors to allow weekly lunchtime recitals of music.

Percy Grainger plays Tchaikovksy "Sugar plum fairy". Wonderful playing from the pianist beloved by Grieg.
When on tour, he used to jog from one american city to the next. Didn't he even care about air miles?

How to Play the Piano
Such freedom of the upper arm! Such naturalness! Such breath! Such lovely printed fabric! We bow.
Magda Tagliaferro Saint Saens Concerto 5

Most disturbing recorded fragment
Bela Bartok playing Chopin Nocturne in C sharp minor
Did a minor key ever sound this spooky? Did the bogeyman abduct the musician?

Loveliest tone award: after 0.50.
Alexander Siloti's was a favourite pupil of Liszt. Some said he was more than equal to the great Rachmaninoff, and this playing has such a warm, living tone, like the golden voice of a tenor, characteristic of the finest Russian-school pianism.

Erwin Nyiereghazy (at 6.53) Liszt Legend 2. I believe this is how Liszt himself performed - free, full of imagination, wild, strong, passionate, individual, spiritual, heartfelt, with never a care for the judgemental bourgeoisie.

Best virtuoso playing: (three contestants)
Alfred Cortot playing Saint-Saens Etude en forme de Valse
Horowitz went to him for a lesson but Cortot would not reveal the secrets of his lightness within power!

Ignaz Friedman playing Chopin Etude in C at 3.05

Dinu Lipatti making light work of Liszt

Best Chopin Nocturne
Moriz Rosenthal Chopin D flat major. Rosenthal studied with Liszt AND with a favourite pupil of Chopin's; so his style deserves to be treated with the greatest respect, even though it may appear too personal for the modern ear.
Ideal for the moonlit reverie with your beloved (and/or hot water bottle).

Best Folk-Style Playing
Ignaz Friedman Chopin Mazurka
Such rhythm and mood! Spot on! 100%. Now if this spirit and lifetime's learning could be sold in a bottle...

Bela Bartok plays his own Rumanian Folk Dances
How wonderful! How humble! How truly civilised! Such musical phrasing! Bravo Hungary! (And Rumania).

Best 2-piano Playing: Arensky, Waltz from Suite, played by Harold Bauer and Ossip Gabrilowitsch. Wow! Did you know that Ravel dedicated Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit to Harold Bauer?

Best Left Hand
Simon Barere plays Blumenfeld's Etude for the Left Hand in A flat major opus 36 at 2.45