PTG of course is the Piano Technicians Guild and this years convention was held in Grand Rapids Michigan. Grand Rapids is a pain to get to but is a lovely little city with a fantastic convention facility. For the past number of years Ferdinand Braeu, our Technical Director has given a class on Maintaining the […]
The piano world
What I Like About Piano Competitions
The Van Cliburn Competition just ended with barely a ripple on the surface of public awareness. To a certain extent this is to be expected since the world of serious piano playing is relatively small and arcane. However in my memory the Cliburn used to generate quite a bit more awareness. The biggest advantage of […]
Gabriela Montero in Vienna
The word from Vienna is that my pal Gabriela Montero (yes, she played at the inauguration) just had a big success in Vienna, playing Brahms 1 on a Bosendorfer 290 with the Vienna Philharmonic. Gabby is the real deal and if you don’t know of her, you should. Sublime musical intelligence, warm personality, beautiful, huge […]
Haitink comments on Shostakovich 4th Sympnony
The Shostakovich 4th is one of my most favorite pieces perhaps due to the way I first heard it; performed by the Boston Symphony, me a naive college student walking in completely unprepared. I walked out a different person. This video is short. Make sure you listen to the end. UPDATE: Oh well, the link […]
Musical Nourishment – Chicago
My idea of cultural mecca is the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago. It’s has a spectacular old world lobby and is just steps away from the Art Institute and Symphony Hall. I took advantage of it’s proximity to the latter tonight and attended a performance (under Bernard Haitink) of Webern Im Sommerwind, Mahler Ruckert Lieder […]
I’m not trying to reach the converted.
I’m trying to reach the others, the ones who haven’t discovered their personal connection with classical (serious) music. Is it possible that my deliberate choice of the previous words might offend some people? Hopefully, because my point is; how can you question whether or not a higher power exists after one has experienced Beethoven, Brahms, […]