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Tag: Piano / Keyboard

Schumann Sonatas for Violin and Piano

Schumann Sonatas for Violin and Piano

I have been exploring some interesting works lately, among them some excellent violin sonatas. Surprisingly, there are a few works that I never had a chance to listen to and was surprised by them. Schumann’s Sonatas for Violin and Piano are sublime works, and a great recording is by Jennifer Koh [violin] and Reiko Uchida [piano] on Cedille Records. Schumann has a way with melody and the interplay with between the two instruments definitely makes this more than a violin…

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Bach: French Suites

Bach: French Suites

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  Bach’s ‘French Suites’  comprise 6 sets of suites for piano. The name ‘French’ was added on later, either to describe the style or to possibly differentiate them from the ‘English’ Suites. The do not really reflect a French style as such, but regardless this is a must-listen for lovers of piano music.   There are numerous performances available, and most are more than acceptable. I have a preference for Andras Schiff and Glenn Gould. Schiff has a more set…

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Free Music May: The Grieg Piano Concerto

Free Music May: The Grieg Piano Concerto

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Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor by Rubinstein with Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orch. circa 1942 This is actually a quite nice performance of this almost too-famous work, Rubinstein in his younger days had a bit more edge in his playing than in later years. Details and recordings at: http://archive.org/details/GriegPianoConcertoInAMinorrubinstein-ormandy1942  

Free Music May: Open Goldberg Variations

Free Music May: Open Goldberg Variations

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A great project: record Bach’s Goldberg Variations, release the recordings into the public domain for all to listen and share. Performed byKimiko Ishizaka, a pianist I have never heard of, but these are not second rate performances. I have only listened to the recording a few times, but I have heard the Goldbergs to the point that I know every movement almost by heart, and something tells me that this may beat out some of my favorite recordings. Ishizakais a…

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Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies

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The Rhapsodies come in several versions, the original solo piano and orchestrated versions. While I have the odd piano version from various performers, there was not a complete set of all 19 Rhapsodies in my collection. Surprisingly few sets are in print these days, however there are a few gems out there. Roberto Szidon recorded a set for DG in the 1970’s and it has been released on a DG2CD set. This is a great modern recording of Liszt’s piano…

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Beethoven: Classic Piano Sonatas

Beethoven: Classic Piano Sonatas

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You can find a lot of surprises when you are browsing Amazon.com. I came upon a bargain set of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas by Artur Schnabel. These were recorded in the 1930’s and I believe may have been the first set of complete sonatas issued on 78s. Whether they were first or not, they have a history of being legendary performances, and I never got around to listening to them, until now. They set of 101 tracks is on sale…

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Bargain Box Roundup: Rubinstein’s Chopin

Bargain Box Roundup: Rubinstein’s Chopin

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There have been a lot of big box sets released over the past year or two, like the DG 111 sets, complete symphony recordings by Bernstein and others. I am going to do a rundown of some of the bargains and must-have releases. The 11 CD Chopin Collection by Rubinstein is a must-have. These are all of the recordings that surfaced with the 1980’s Chopin Collection from RCA plus more. I had many of these LPs, but unfortunately the vinyl…

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Bargain Bach Harpsichord Music

Bargain Bach Harpsichord Music

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Looking for a collection of Bach? Here is a set of the Brandenburgs along with the Harpichord Concertos 1-6 plus the Harpsichord Concertos for Two and more keyboards. The performances seem to be from the old Vox catalog possibly, or may be newer, but either way decent recordings. The price has varied on this but currently under $10. That is quite a bargain, and not a bad way to expand your Bach collection too. Here is a massive harpsichord collection…

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