Rarely does a musician take your breath away so quietly.
Dinu Lipatti (1917-1950, piano), 1947: Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Nocturne No. 8 in D-flat major (Op. 27, No. 2)
**********
lagniappe
art beat: other day, Art Institute of Chicago
Claude Monet (1840-1926), Irises (1914-17), detail
Beautiful, delicate, ever-changing: what better way to begin the week?
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), 24 Preludes (Op. 28): Maria João Pires (piano), live, Portugal (Évora), 1987
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
alone
No matter how often I hear these tiny pieces, no matter how many pianists I hear play them, they remain perpetually fresh.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Preludes, Op. 28 (1835-1839); Seong-Jin Cho (1994-, piano), live, 2017
**********
lagniappe
art beat: more
William Klein (1926–2022), Candy Store, Amsterdam Avenue, New York, 1955
never enough
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Preludes, Op. 28 (1835-1839); Alfred Cortot (1877-1962, piano), 1933
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
spellbinding
Daniil Trifonov (1991-, piano), live, Verbier (Switzerland), 2012: Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849), Eight Études (Op. 10, No. 11; Op. 10, No. 6; Op. 25, No. 1; Op. 25, No. 5; Op. 10, No. 5; Op. 25, No. 6; Op. 25, No. 7; Op. 25, No. 11)
**********
lagniappe
reading table
Look, look greedily,
when dusk approaches,
look insatiably,
look without fear.—Adam Zagajewski (1945–2021), from “Mountains” (translated from the Polish by Clare Cavanagh)
never enough
One of the greatest pianists alive—now seventy-nine.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Ballade No. 1 in G minor (1831); Maurizio Pollini (1942-, piano), live, Milan, 6/25/21
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
never enough
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor; Martha Argerich (1941-, piano), live, Germany (Hamburg), 6/25/20
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
These tiny pieces I tire of never.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), 24 Preludes (1835-1839); Vladimir Ashkenazy (1937-, piano), live, England (Essex), 1980
(Note: After posting this clip, I found that it cannot be viewed here; however, it can be at YouTube.)
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Not much more than being,
Thoughts of isolate, beautiful—Louis Zukofsky (1904-1978), from “2”
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).
never enough
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Nocturne in B major (Op. 62, No. 1); Daniil Trifonov (1991-, piano), live, Warsaw, 2010
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
music clip of the day 