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Do you write about classical music? Are you a blogger? Want to team up with Classical Connect? Send us a message, let's talk!
March 8, 2010.
Elena Kuschnerova is a Russian-born, German-based "pianist who grabs the imagination," according to the late New York Times critic Harold Schonberg, who also praised her Scriabin recordings. Elena studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Sergei Dorensky. She was influenced by the great and controversial Russian composer Alexander Lokshin (1920-1987), who wrote a variation cycle for her. Ms. Kuschnerova established herself in Germany in 1992. Her recitals and CDs encompass a wide range, from Bach to first performances of works composed for her. The following “virtual recital” will include: J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in c minor, from the first volume of the Well-Tempered Clavier, followed by Intermezzo No. 2 in A Major, Op. 118 by Johannes Brahms. We will then hear Scriabin’s Etude No. 12 in d-sharp minor, Op. 8 and Prokofiev’s March from the opera Love to the three oranges." We’ll conclude with Alexander Lokshin’s Prelude and Theme with Variations. It was written in 1982 and dedicated to Elena Kuschnerova. To listen, click here.
March 1, 2010. Chopin 200!
Yes, Frédéric Chopin was born on March 1 200 years ago! So, without further ado, let’s celebrate. We’ll hear pianists from many countries. Mara Dobresco of France plays the Valse in e minor, Op. Posth.; Elena Kuschnerova of Germany – the Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2; Bill-John Newbrough – the Grande Valse Brillante in E-flat Major, Op. 18; Konstantyn Travinsky of Ukraine plays Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in c minor and Valse Op. 70, No. 1 in G-flat Major; Dmitry Paperno, formerly of Russia, plays the Mazurka in A-flat Major, Op. 41, No. 4; John Ferguson – the Nocturne in c minor, Op. 48, No. 1; Spencer Myer plays the Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61; Elena Baksht, another former Russian pianist, plays the Scherzo No. 2 in b-flat minor; and Hayk Arsenyan, the pianist born in Armenia, plays the Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38. To listen, click here.
February 22, 2010
George Frideric Handel was born on February 23, 1685, 225 years ago, in the German city of Halle, Saxony. He went on to study in Italy, settling in London in 1712 and later becoming a British subject. Handel was known for his operas in his lifetime (he wrote 62 of them, most in the Italian style), which fell out of vogue soon after his death but are enjoying a revival today thanks to artists like Cecilia Bartoli. We created this playlist to commemorate Handel’s anniversary. We start with the pianist Margarita Shevchenko playing Chaconne in G Major. Following that, the baritone Raymond Feener sings the aria Arm, arm ye brave from the great oratorio Judas Maccabaeus. In conclusion, the guitarist Charles Mokotoff solos in Concerto in B-flat Major for Guitar and Strings. To listen, click here.
February 15, 2010
The young pianist Irina Klyuev was born in Nikšić, Montenegro. She started her studies in her hometown and then continued on at the University of Montenegro. Later in London, she studied with Leonid Kontorovsky and Irina Ossipova, among others. There she received the John Lill and Colin Davis scholarships, and later took classes with Jeno Jando at the Royal Academy of Music, Dublin. Irina Klyuev was among the winners of a number of international piano competitions. We’ll hear Irina play J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor, from Book 2 of Well-Tempered Clavier. She then performs Ondine, from Ravel’s Gaspar de la Nuit. We’ll conclude with two rarely performed pieces. First comes Arnold Schoenberg’s angular Piano Piece no. 3, and then a little bon-bon from the mid-19th century French composer and pianist Charles-Valentin Alkan called Allegro Barbaro. To listen, click here.
February 8, 2010
John Ferguson is a pianist whose performances have been praised for their “proselytizing zeal” and "impressive qualities of pianistic brilliance.” He’s also a composer and a conductor. His recitals feature some of the most difficult works in keyboard literature, including Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" Sonata, Bach's Art of Fugue, and Rzewski's The People United Will Never be Defeated. Ferguson's performances have also included such rarities as Liszt's arrangements of Beethoven's symphonies, music from the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, and a wide range of contemporary music, including his own compositions. We’ll hear Franz Liszt’s Legend no. 2 "St. Francis Walking on the Waves," then Allegretto from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, arranged for the piano by Liszt. We’ll continue with Mr. Ferguson’s own composition, Duo for Piano and Vibraphone. We’ll then hear Sonata V for prepared piano by John Cage’s and will conclude with Anton Webern’s Five Pieces for Orchestra Op. 10, with Mr. Ferguson conducting. To listen, click here.
February 1, 2010
Franz Schubert, the great Austrian composer, was born on January 31, 1797 in Alsergrund, which is now a part of Vienna. He lived most of his life in that city and died a short 31 years later. Still, he left us with a large body of work of supreme quality, including more than 600 Lieder, great piano sonatas and other instrumental music, and nine symphonies. We created a small playlist to celebrate Schubert’s birthday. First, you’ll hear Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3, played by the pianist Xiang Zou; then an arrangement for the violin of the song Ave Maria, played by Albert Markov. We follow with two Lieder: Der Wanderer an den Mond, sung by the baritone Thomas Meglioranza, and Im Frühling, performed by the soprano Hyunah Yu. We’ll finish with the Wanderer Fantasy, played by the pianist Alon Goldstein. To listen, click here.