Atonal Music28 January 2010
This week, let us focus on the break-up of tonality, initiated in the late nineteenth century and clearly confirmed during the early twentieth century. With several articles about atonal, dodecaphonic music and serial music I want to make a few preliminary remarks before discovering the universe of a key figure in the postwar music world: Pierre Boulez.
Leoš Janáček’s piano works27 January 2009
Born in Hukvaldy in Moravia (Czech Republic), Leoš Janáček is a particularly interesting musical figure, quite unknown to the general public. Very inventive composer, his inspiration is drawn from his homeland’s folk songs. Best known for his operas (The Makropoulos Affair, From the House of the Dead…) and his orchestral works (Sinfonietta, Taras Bulba…), Janáček [...]
Happy birthday to Henri Dutilleux23 January 2009
Born on January 22, Henri Dutilleux celebrated his 93 years birthday yesterday. Henri Dutilleux’s work has a particular resonance for me, I just couldn’t pass by the Maestro’s birthday. I was introduced to his music very early on and I immediately liked it very much: Métaboles, Timbre, espace et mouvements, L’arbre des songes, Shadows of [...]
Philippe Manoury launches his blog13 January 2009
Good news! The French Composer Philippe Manoury launches his blog (unfortunately, available in English only through a translation gateway). There you will find besides his biography, his catologue and bibliography, some videos and musical analysis (at the moment Wozzeck). This space defines itself as a place of knowledge, of learning about (savant) music in general, [...]
Mozart’s Sonata Kv 3309 December 2008
Next week, I will give a recital in Prague. On the program, the famous Mozart’s sonata in C Major Kv 330. This sonata has been played many times, and by the biggest names… making it hard to tackle it, and even more difficult to assume in concert.
Happy birthday Mister Lachenmann!28 November 2008
Yesterday, 27th of november, was the birthday of the German composer Helmut Lachenmann, born in 1935. Luigi Nono’s disciple, he is considered as a major composer of our time and as the most representative of the “klangkomposition”.
John Cage’s Water Walk14 November 2008
Today, a video of a great American composer, who already left us for 16 years. This document dates from January 1960 and shows us John Cage playing his Water Walk during the TV show “I’ve got a secret”.
At this time, John Cage was an extremely controversial character in the music world and taught experimental composition [...]
Why I don’t play Bach31 October 2008
Some time ago, I was asked a really interesting question. Uncomfortable too : Why don’t you play Bach? I didn’t noticed this lack in my programs, and after having taken a look at my past programs, I indeed found out that Bach was reported missing. However, I’m fond of his music, and, as many pianists [...]
Chopin’s sonata in b flat minor7 September 2008
Each time I exhume the Chopin’s sonata in B-flat minor, I’m wondering what he had in mind while writing the final movement. Four pages of triplets as fast as possible, pianissimo finishing fortissimo. Strange, but I love it. What I love even more, it’s to take advantage of this final to play an atonal work [...]
The SACEM’s twists and turns24 January 2007
At this end of January, my interest is focused on France and its SACEM. Does the “Society of the Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music” wish to deprive its members of diffusion?
Our team has decided a few weeks ago to put online for free some of my most recent recordings, in streaming and downloading versions. [...]