Yay, Emily and Judy, these kind of exchanges are like a mini music appreciation class for me. Now I have somewhat of an idea of how to listen to classical music, what to listen for. Thanks.
On Saturday, December 14, 2013 1:39 AM, "emilymae...@yahoo.com" <emilymae...@yahoo.com> wrote: Judy, comments inserted below (I hope). Tonight was more listening pleasure. Thank you. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <authfriend@...> wrote: Thank you! I hope he's still in good health. I've never quite understood Pollini's reputation in some circles for "coolness." I like his straightforwardness and lack of sentimentality. He lets you dig the music on your--and its--own terms without, as it were, telling you how to feel about it, but his brilliant technique brings out everything the composer put into it. (IMHO.) Change of pace, a movement from a simple Bach keyboard piece that never fails to lift my spirits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-GnAGwjXnM Yep, I've bookmarked it. Schubert's last piano sonata, composed shortly before his death. This (the first movement) takes me places: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok9tofNmqNY Faboulous, and I love the video of Alfred Brendal playing it - view from the side; he is so immersed *in* the piece. From Wikipedia on Schubert [which you probably know, I'm guessing :)] "The works of his last two years reveal a composer increasingly meditating on the darker side of the human psyche and human relationships, and with a deeper sense of spiritual awareness and conception of the 'beyond'." Beethoven's "Waldstein" piano sonata (Pollini again): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-OM70p3Jd0 My father used to play this at home (or try to play it; he was a talented amateur, but this is a tough piece--he enjoyed the challenge, would practice it for hours). Love that - what a dad. Yes, this is some piece. Pollini! The feeling that comes through the intensity and precision of what he plays is astounding. I just re-read the article; this is what I am trying to say: "his uncanny ability to manipulate dynamics, as well as a deft rhythmic sense - Mr. Pollini thinks a lot about sound." He does bring out the "inner quality" of the music. I liked what Pollini said here: "Certainly I'm not for a cool approach to music. This would limit the power of a musical creation. Objectivity I can understand in a certain way. I want the music to speak for itself, but music played coolly is not enough. It would be wrong to be detached." Interestingly, compare how Gilels interprets/plays this. This is part 3 and corresponds to 16 minutes into the link you posted. Tonight, I like Pollini's version better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Yn96G16Og In my stash of some classical CD's inherited from my grandparents, I found Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and his faithful accompanist, Hartmut Holl. I am going to listen to them all; it is time. Accompanists don't get the credit they deserve. This transports me too. Smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Dw9tFpZAc “In the early 1980s Holl was taken on as official accompanist for the famous baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the most recorded singer in history, with over one thousand LP-length recordings to his credit. For 14 years, Holl accompanied Fischer-Dieskau in what many see now as an Indian summer of Fischer-Dieskau’s long career. He was sometimes tempted to perform and record with pianists who were not full masters of the accompanist’s art, like Alfred Brendel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and most disastrously Vladimir Horowitz. But for the most part, it was Holl’s combination of musical sensitivity with a capacity for drama and spiky originality when the song called for it, that grace the baritone’s last recordings.” - Valerie Kampmeier Emily wrote: << Thank you Judy. This is a good article on Pollini in the WSJ, April 2013. >> http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324874204578440571761520316
