Sonate Harder

April 17, 2013

"There’s a way of playing safe, there’s a way of using tricks and there’s the way I like to play, which is dangerously, where you’re going to take a chance on making mistakes in order to create something you haven’t created before."

— Dave Brubeck (via justleanna)

8:27pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Zi1ncxixG5za

(Notes: 32)

April 14, 2013

"Every spring the leaves of the trees re-appear with the spring, but they are different every time. How can we expect to produce a vital performance if we don’t re-create the work every time?"

— Pablo Casals

9:51am | URL: http://tmblr.co/Zi1ncxig7s2P

(Notes: 12)

Filed under: music performance inspiration cello violoncello

January 1, 2013

Playing by Heart, With or Without a Score

Over the years I have observed that the rigid protocol in classical music whereby solo performers, especially pianists, are expected to play from memory seems finally, thank goodness, to be loosening its hold. What matters, or should matter, is the quality of the music making, not the means by which an artist renders a fine performance.

Amen.

(via tkhosdeghian)

7:31pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Zi1ncxajwCH1

(Notes: 28)

Filed under: piano anthony tommasini article music new york times classical music performance memorization

December 9, 2012

I haven’t watched this yet, but I do remember posting Daria’s wonderful video of her playing Handel from the back of a truck while driving throughout Amsterdam.

cliffcrego:

WATCHING: TEDTalk from happy AMSTERDAM, talented Dutch pianist, Daria van den Bercken: A State of Wonder http://bit.ly/YRkkpp Rethinking how to share beautiful music

(Source: cs-music.com)

5:05pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Zi1ncxZ0Mp30

(Notes: 3)

Filed under: piano Daria van den Bercken Classical Music performance Handel harpsichord Ted TedTalk Amsterdam

May 7, 2012

ianbrooks:

Suspended Piano

Ricardo de Castro Monteiro’s piano playing literally lifts him up as he him and his Grand Piano hang from wires during the annual “Virada Cultural” event, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(photos by Yasuyoshi Chiba / Getty Images, via: photoblog.msnbc)

8:48pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Zi1ncxL4PmAk

(Notes: 308)

Filed under: piano Ricardo de Castro Monteiro Virada Cultural brazil performance

February 10, 2012

Yes jealous!

stevey226:

Valentina Lisitsa - Debut at the Royal Albert Hall

Jealous? You should be =D Second row in, second chair in from the left!
I’ve always wanted to see her live and I when I got an email from the RAH that she’s performing I couldn’t turn down the offer! I bought tickets straight away!

She’s so damn gorgeous!

9:09pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Zi1ncxGDE0GT

(Notes: 16)

Filed under: piano Valentina Lisitsa Royal Albert Hall Debut Performance Bloody gorgeous!

January 7, 2012

"In the regions of eternal ice, buildings are connected by safety lines so that inhabitants can find their way between living quarters, laboratory, and outhouse in extreme weather conditions.
On stage we sometimes find ourselves lost in the blinding darkness of an adrenalin blizzard. Suddenly our usual faculties are confusing us due to an glandular infused augmentation of our attention capabilities."

— 299 • A safety line in the blizzard « Pianist to Pianist, by Jura Margulis

6:08pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Zi1ncxEQNUB3

(Notes: 18)

Filed under: piano performance practice

November 23, 2011