In previous posts, we talked about Ondine and the gibbet from Gaspard de la nuit, let’s get today to the third and last movement of this triptych, the most terrifying one from a pianistic point of view : Scarbo, work I recorded for my first solo album last month. Even if I played it extensively on many different stages, Scarbo still scares me and requires a special attention when included in a recital program.
In my last post, we talked about Ondine, the first movement of Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit. Today, we are going deeper in the magic of Ondine’s world and also talk about the German physicist Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz. Do you know him? He discovered several important things but what makes him interesting to me is his strong interest in physics of perception, and especially his book On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music published in 1863. What’s in it? Roughly, he discovered harmonics and why they are so important to our ears.
In my previous post, Leoš Janáček: On an overgrown path, we spoke about the work’s background and its genesis. Today, it’s time to dive into the music itself and talk about one of the biggest issue when it comes to Janáček : the overgrown path to the original text.
As my recording sessions are getting closer, I’m completely focused on Janáček and Ravel’s work featured on the CD, namely On an overgrown path, In the mists and Gaspard de la nuit. This is a Czech/French program I choose for my first solo CD, really expressing who I am : despite the obvious Frenchness of my name, I feel equally close to each composer. Before hitting the studio in December, I wanted to write and share with you about the works I’ll be recording in two months and something. Allons-y! First post: Leoš Janáček’s On an overgrown path.
Yesterday, I have been going through my music bookshelves, digging for a piano concerto. I was looking for something really specific as it has to be something fitting the requirements of an emerging community orchestra and my practice schedule. My friend the conductor Jaemi Loeb initiated the project and created the Houston Heights Orchestra and I immediately offered her my help.
Two years ago, I published a post entitled The 5 most difficult piano pieces trying to determine the top 5 most difficult solo works for piano. I got lots of comments mentioning piano concertos, and today I wanted to take a look at these pieces for piano and orchestra. Remember this ranking does not thus escape my subjectivity – these are the most difficult piano concertos according to me.
A few days ago, I was slowly recovering from the worst nightmare of my youth: Chopin’s 24 studies. My god, they tortured me so much! However, with hindsight, there was really no reason to flip out… It was certainly more a psychological than pianistic blockage. I even find it very funny to work today!
It is a question I’m often asked and find it quite hard to give an answer. The notion of difficulty is a subjective one, and what may seem difficult to you may seem easy to someone else. This ranking does not thus escape my subjectivity – these are the most difficult piano pieces according to me.
Born in Hukvaldy in Moravia (Czech Republic), Leoš Janáček is a particularly interesting musical figure, quite unknown to the general public. Very inventive composer, his inspiration is drawn from his homeland’s folk songs.
Next week, I will give a recital in Prague. On the program, the famous Mozart’s sonata in C Major Kv 330. This sonata has been played many times, and by the biggest names… making it hard to tackle it, and even more difficult to assume in concert. Because yes, it’s actually the first time I’m going to perform Mozart in public!