Tuesday, December 29th
string quartet festival
day one
Thomas Adès (1971-), Arcadiana (1994); Danish String Quartet, live, New York, 2015
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
music clip of the day
jazz/blues/rock/classical/gospel/more
Category: classical
2020
2020
Saturday, December 26th
alone
Need more air?
Mitsuko Uchida (piano), live, London, 12/16/20: Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Piano Sonatas in C major (“Reliquie,” 3:40-) and G major (“Fantasy,” 42:00-)
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
*****
reading table
Listening deeply,
sometimes—in another—you can hear
the sound of a hermit, sighing
as he climbs a mountain trail to reach
a waterfall
or a Buddhist nun reciting prayers
while moonlight falls through the window
onto an old clay floor,
and once in a while, a child
rolling a hoop through the alleyways of Tokyo,
laughing,
or a farmer pausing in a rice field to watch
geese fly,
the thoughts on his lips he doesn’t think to say.—Dick Allen (1939-2017), “Listening Deeply”
2020
Wednesday, December 16th
alone
Morton Feldman (1926-1987, MCOTD Hall of Fame), Triadic Memories (1981); Louis Goldstein (piano), 2000
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
2020
Saturday, December 12th
alone
There are a handful of pianists whose every note I’m hungry to hear—he’s one. (Caution: Do not listen to this as “background” music; if you do, your ears will wither and fall off.)
Dinu Lipatti (1917-1950, piano), playing (as detailed below) Bach, Scarlatti, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Ravel, published 12/5/20*
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago
*****
Program (courtesy of YouTube):
0:00 Bach-Busoni: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
4:07 Bach-Hess: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Scarlatti: Three Sonatas: 7:35 G Major K.9 10:25 G Minor K.450 13:47 D Minor K.14
Chopin: 17:03 Sonata No.3 in B Minor Op.58 41:52 Waltz No.2 in A-Flat Major Op.34 No.1 46:25 Etude Op.25 No.5 49:40 Etude Op.10 No.5
Liszt: 51:24 La Leggierezza 55:56 Gnomenreigen
Brahms: 58:36 Intermezzo in E-Flat Major (abbr.) Op.117 No.1 1:01:44 Intermezzo in A Minor (abbr.) Op.116 No.2 1:04:31 Intermezzo in C Major Op.119 No.3 1:06:08 Capriccio in D Minor Op.116 No.7
1:08:22 Ravel: Alborada del Gracioso
2020
Wednesday, December 2nd
alone
One-word review: Wow!
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (1957-, piano) plays Etudes by Debussy, Ligeti, Chopin, Bartok, Scriabin; live, England (Aldeburgh), 2014*
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
*Program (courtesy of YouTube): 0:00-, Debussy: Étude 1 pour les cinq doigts d’après Monsieur Czerny L. 136; 03:42-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 3: White on white (1995–2001); 07:56-, Debussy: Étude 9 pour les notes répétées L. 136; 11:16-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Der Zauberlehrling (1988–1994); 13:40-, Debussy: Étude 3 pour les quartes L. 136; 18:57-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Fém (1988–1994); 22:08-, Chopin: Trois nouvelles études: I. in F minor (1839); 24:29-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: En Suspens (1988–1994); 26:35-, Chopin: Trois nouvelles études: III. in A major (1839); 28:50-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Arc-en-ciel (1985); 32:20-, Chopin: 12 etudes: II. in F minor (Op. 25); 34:03-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Touches bloquées (1985); 36:14-, Bartók: 3 etudes: I. Allegro molto Sz. 72; 38:45-, Bartók: 3 etudes: II. Andante sostenuto Sz. 72; 42:17-, Bartók: 3 etudes: III. Rubato-Molto sostenuto Sz. 72; 44:25-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Entrelacs (1988–1994); 47:20-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Fanfares (1985); 50:56-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Automne à Varsovie (1985); 55:39-, Scriabin: 3 etudes: I. Allegro fantastico Op. 65; 59:25-, Scriabin: 3 etudes: II. Allegretto Op. 65; 01:01:44-, Scriabin: 3 etudes: III. Molto vivace Op. 65; 01:03:30-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: Galamb Borong (1988–1994); 01:06:30, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 1: Cordes à vide (1985); 01:10:03-, Ligeti: Etudes: Book 2: L’escalier du diable (1988–1994).
2020
Monday, November 30th
sounds of Estonia
Lepo Sumera (1950-2000), “Piano piece from the year 1981”; Kadri-Ann Sumera, piano, 2013
**********
lagniappe
random sights
this morning, outside Chicago (Illinois Prairie Path)
2020
Saturday, November 28th
timeless
Erik Satie (1866-1925), Ogives (4) (1886, 00:00-), Pièces froides (6) (1897, 12:29-), Gnossiennes 1-6 (1889-97, 25:02-), Sonneries de la Rose+Croix (3) (1892, 44:51-), Gymnopédies (3) (1888, 58:59-); Reinbert de Leeuw (1938-2020, piano), live, 1982
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
2020
Wednesday, November 25th
more
Márta Kurtág (1927-2019, piano) and György Kurtág (1926-, piano), live, Paris, 2012: J.S. Bach (1685-1750, arr. G. Kurtág), “Das alte Jahr vergangen ist” (BWV 614)
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
2020
Tuesday, November 24th
alone
György Kurtág (1926-, piano), live, Budapest (Budapest Music Center), 10/17/20: Mártának | Mozart: Sonata in D major (K. 576), excerpt (II. Adagio)*
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
*From the New York Times obituary (10/25/19):
Marta Kurtag, a pianist and teacher who shared a 72-year collaboration with her husband, the prominent avant-garde composer Gyorgy Kurtag, profoundly influencing his work and joining him in dual recitals that acquired a legendary reputation in their later years, died on Oct. 17 in Budapest. She was 92.
Her death, in a hospital, was confirmed by the Budapest Music Center, a performing arts complex where she lived with Mr. Kurtag in an apartment.
2020
Monday, November 23rd
alone
What better way to begin the week?
Hilary Hahn (violin), live (friend’s empty place), 11/8/20: W.A. Mozart (1756-1791), Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major (K. 219, “Turkish”) and New Cadenzas (H. Hahn)
**********
lagniappe
musical thoughts
Mozart was a kind of idol to me—this rapturous singing . . . that’s always on the edge of sadness and melancholy and disappointment and heartbreak, but always ready for an outburst of the most delicious music.
—Novelist Saul Bellow (1915-2005)
**********
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
music clip of the day 