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Jack Quartet, photo Henrik Olund

Daily News Roundup: 12 July 2016

By Kiersten van Vliet on 12 July 2016 Chamber Music, Contemporary, Daily News Roundup, Musical Theatre, Piano, Popular Music, Strings

+ Marc Chénard’s account of the 2016 Cartel New Music Conference presented June 1–5 at le Vivier. “In the wake of its most recent meetings, Cartel is still a work in progress. There are still several hurdles to clear, the most significant of which way will be the contrasting mindsets of North-American and European presenters. On that issue, Pierrette Gingras sees one main difference in that the former are much more action oriented than the latter, who are more inclined to engage in ideological or conceptual discussions.” + Rappers Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, and Lil Kim were honoured on Monday…

Conrad Tao

Video of the Day – Conrad Tao covers Beyoncé’s ‘Blue’ on Piano

By Weiyu Dang on 12 July 2016 Contemporary, Piano, Popular Music, Video of the day

At age 22, Conrad Tao has won honours ranging from the Davidson Fellow Laureate to the being the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Artist-in-residence for 2015–2016. In today’s video of the day, Tao takes on his match in the popular music world by covering Beyoncé’s ‘Blue’ off the singer’s 2014 album, Beyoncé. Conrad Tao – “Blue (Beyoncé cover)”

Stevie Wonder

Daily News Roundup: 11 July 2016

By Kiersten van Vliet on 11 July 2016 Contemporary, Daily News Roundup, Mainstream Jazz, Piano, Popular Music, Scena Jazz, Violin

+ This Day in Music: George Gershwin died this day in 1937. + The 37th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal was a resounding success for all involved, read the festival summary here. + A benefit concert for Black Lives Matter on Wednesday in New York City is tragically timely in light of recent events. + Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà’s albums have now been streamed more than 30 million times across more than 100 countries. + Read Kiersten van Vliet’s review of Gershwin arrangements for solo piano by British composer Michael Finnissy, played by Dirk Herten. “Finnissy, who celebrated…

CD Review – Michael Finnissy: Gershwin arrangements for piano (White)

By Kiersten van Vliet on 11 July 2016 CD and Book Reviews, Contemporary, Mainstream Jazz, Piano, Popular Music, Scena Jazz

George Gershwin’s songs are so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine an experience of his work untouched by adaptations, whether in film or in the concert hall. This set of 13 tunes was transcribed by English composer Michael Finnissy over the same number of years, between 1975 and 1988. Finnissy is perhaps best known for his transcriptions, from his English Country Tunes (1982–85) to his completion of Mozart’s Requiem (2013). Finnissy, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this year, hailed Dirk Herten’s performance as “thoughtful, sensitive, [and] delicately-shaded,” while praising his refined touch. He continued, “I feel like a…

Alessio Bax

Video of the Day – Lullabies with Alessio Bax

By Weiyu Dang on 8 July 2016 Piano, Video of the day

In an adorable edition of “Tiny Desk Concert,” Italian classical pianist Alessio Bax plays classics by Bach, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff of his CD Lullabies for Mila in an attempt to lull the 22-month Mila to sleep. The first piece is the performer’s own transcription of the familiar Bach tune “Sheeps May Safely Graze.” The bright piano timbre however seems to amuse Mila more than anything as she gives more attention to her Cookie Monster plush doll. Brahms Waltz Op. 39 in A-flat, the second piece featuring Bax’s wife Lucille Chung, works better to hush Mila with its graceful trills. The…

Lebrecht Weekly – Felix Mendelssohn: Songs without words (BIS)

By Norman Lebrecht on 8 July 2016 Lebrecht Weekly, Piano, Romantic

As a general rule, I would rather eat porridge that has been left to stand overnight than listen to music of the romantic era being played on what is supposed to be a period instrument and is actually a modern replica, made the year before last. In this case, a reproduction of an 1830 Paris Pleyel that was manufactured by Paul McNulty in 2010. I mean, why….? Then again, ask any composer if he or she wanted their music to be played on the best possible soundboard or on a washboard and you’ll get an answer far more conclusive than…

Lila Downs. Photo credit: Frédérique Ménard-Aubin, 2016

Daily News Roundup: 6 July 2016

By Kiersten van Vliet on 6 July 2016 Choral, Contemporary, Mainstream Jazz, Piano, Romantic, Scena Jazz, World Music

+ Cleveland Classical talks with guitarist Denis Azabagić about winning prizes, his wife and duo partner flautist Eugenia Moliner, and practice philosophy. “I remember when I came to the U.S. more than a decade ago. I opened the yellow pages and found an ad that said, ‘Learn to play the piano without practice.’ I thought, who in the world could put out such an ad? I mean how can you lie like that — because that’s impossible. We would all like to get our things in life the easy way, but music is something that certainly doesn’t happen like that.…

Barry Douglas

Video of the Day – Barry Douglas and Celtic Airs

By Weiyu Dang on 6 July 2016 Contemporary, Piano, Video of the day

Splitting time between recording Beethoven concertos, directing music festivals, and conducting the Camerata Ireland, which he founded, Irish pianist and composer Barry Douglas is a well-travelled, decorated artist. To “Tiny Desk Concert,” Douglas brings his heritage in the form of Celtic folk songs. Rippling left-hand waves, impish alternating chords, and gossamer trills come together to capture an image of pastoral Ireland from its rugged cliffs, crisp breeze, and sylvan freshness. Barry Douglas – NPR “Tiny Desk Concert”

Jacques Lacombe. Photo by Fred Stucker

Daily News Roundup: 5 July 2016

By Kiersten van Vliet on 5 July 2016 Arts Industry, Choral, Daily News Roundup, Orchestral, Piano, Popular Music, Scena Jazz

+ Read Jeanne Hourez’s review of Nicholas Angelich’s latest release of Liszt, Schumann, and Chopin. (French) + Jacques Lacombe was invited to the Tanglewood Music Festival for the third consecutive year. He will lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra with soloist Joshua Bell on July 8, and Orff’s Carmina Burana on July 9, followed the next day by a concert with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra with a program of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet and Schumann’s Third Symphony. (French) + 53 years ago today, the Beatles invaded America with “From Me to You.” + In light of the ongoing Montreal Jazz…

Valery Kuleshov

Video of the Day – “Stars and Stripes Forever”

By Weiyu Dang on 4 July 2016 Contemporary, Piano, Video of the day

For another American themed video, here’s Russian-born American virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz’ piano transcription of the iconic American bandmaster and composer John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” 00Horowitz wrote this famously difficult transcription on occasion of his naturalization as an American citizen. Valery Kuleshov – Horowitz’ transcription of Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”

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