Comments on: Chopin and me http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/ Fri, 25 May 2012 03:40:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: waltj http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137434 waltj Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:30:37 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137434 Sorry, meant violin. Sorry, meant violin.

]]> By: waltj http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137433 waltj Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:29:41 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137433 Zfredz, I stand corrected. My guess is that the original story gets retold from time to time with contemporary names. But I agree, it's still a great story. And yes, J.S. Bach also had a few things to say on the piano. Zfredz, I stand corrected. My guess is that the original story gets retold from time to time with contemporary names. But I agree, it’s still a great story. And yes, J.S. Bach also had a few things to say on the piano.

]]> By: ninjafetus http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137412 ninjafetus Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:03:10 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137412 I submit this video to any who places value in the claim that Horowitz was a "cold wimp." The nod at the end is not one of a man who feels, shall we say... like he could have done more :p http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnla_5zrHAE And to further the evidence, check out his version of Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3i1mVkqI34 Yes, he's playing all three staves in much of the song. I have no idea how he plays that flute part along with the melody at about 3:15. I submit this video to any who places value in the claim that Horowitz was a “cold wimp.” The nod at the end is not one of a man who feels, shall we say… like he could have done more :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnla_5zrHAE

And to further the evidence, check out his version of Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3i1mVkqI34

Yes, he’s playing all three staves in much of the song. I have no idea how he plays that flute part along with the melody at about 3:15.

]]> By: zfredz http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137349 zfredz Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:56:49 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137349 waltj, great story, but it didn't happen with Perlman, Stern and Rubinstein. It involved the U.S. debut (Carnegie Hall) of the teen-age Jascha Heifetz. The "New York music world" came out to hear whether the stories about this fantastic violinist were true. Among the attendees were the violinist Mischa Elman sitting with and the pianist Leopold Godowsky. After Heifetz played a few bars, Elman reportedly whispered to Godowsky, "hot in here, isn't it", to which Godowsky replied, "not for pianists". Among the many Heifetz stories, not all of them about a warm and fuzzy personality, my favorite involves his spending summer months on USO tours entertaining US troops during WWII. He would perform from the back of a camouflaged truck accompanied by a pianist playing on a camouflaged piano. The performances included Berlin and Gershwin songs and jazz. For an encore he once (probably more often) told the GIs "I will now play a work by Johann Sebastian Bach and, like spinach, it is good for you." When he finished the audience yelled, "more spinach!". waltj, great story, but it didn’t happen with Perlman, Stern and Rubinstein. It involved the U.S. debut (Carnegie Hall) of the teen-age Jascha Heifetz. The “New York music world” came out to hear whether the stories about this fantastic violinist were true. Among the attendees were the violinist Mischa Elman sitting with and the pianist Leopold Godowsky. After Heifetz played a few bars, Elman reportedly whispered to Godowsky, “hot in here, isn’t it”, to which Godowsky replied, “not for pianists”.

Among the many Heifetz stories, not all of them about a warm and fuzzy personality, my favorite involves his spending summer months on USO tours entertaining US troops during WWII. He would perform from the back of a camouflaged truck accompanied by a pianist playing on a camouflaged piano. The performances included Berlin and Gershwin songs and jazz. For an encore he once (probably more often) told the GIs “I will now play a work by Johann Sebastian Bach and, like spinach, it is good for you.” When he finished the audience yelled, “more spinach!”.

]]> By: waltj http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137347 waltj Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:53:28 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137347 Old (and possibly apocryphal) story: Rubinstein and violin great Isaac Stern are at a concert. One of the performers is a then-unknown violinist named Yitzhak Perlman. Perlman plays a couple of selections in the style and virtuosity that will shortly make him famous, and Stern turns to Rubinstein and asks: "Is it getting warm in here?" Rubinstein answers: "Not for pianists". For pure piano music, Chopin is tough to beat. For piano with orchestra, I'll take either Beethoven or Mozart. Old (and possibly apocryphal) story: Rubinstein and violin great Isaac Stern are at a concert. One of the performers is a then-unknown violinist named Yitzhak Perlman. Perlman plays a couple of selections in the style and virtuosity that will shortly make him famous, and Stern turns to Rubinstein and asks: “Is it getting warm in here?” Rubinstein answers: “Not for pianists”.

For pure piano music, Chopin is tough to beat. For piano with orchestra, I’ll take either Beethoven or Mozart.

]]> By: betsybounds http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137346 betsybounds Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:32:01 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137346 I'm with Neo on the sight reading--I tend to think it has to do with how early you learned. By sight reading, I mean being able to open up, say, a hymnal to a random page, look at the music, and play the whole thing, both hands, no pauses or hesitations. I can read music, I practiced scales until they were coming out my ears, I play Bach 2-part inventions with ease--having practiced the hell out of them. That takes proficiency, and I have a fair bit of it. I've worked on parts of the Goldberg Variations. I once asked Richard if he could give me some easy Bach. He answered, "Bach never wrote anything easy." So inability to sight read isn't a matter of lacking proficiency, or of not understanding scales or theory. I think it's simply not the same skill as being able to play, and I think--with Neo and a couple of others here--that it probably has a fair bit to do with how early you learn. I’m with Neo on the sight reading–I tend to think it has to do with how early you learned. By sight reading, I mean being able to open up, say, a hymnal to a random page, look at the music, and play the whole thing, both hands, no pauses or hesitations. I can read music, I practiced scales until they were coming out my ears, I play Bach 2-part inventions with ease–having practiced the hell out of them. That takes proficiency, and I have a fair bit of it. I’ve worked on parts of the Goldberg Variations. I once asked Richard if he could give me some easy Bach. He answered, “Bach never wrote anything easy.” So inability to sight read isn’t a matter of lacking proficiency, or of not understanding scales or theory. I think it’s simply not the same skill as being able to play, and I think–with Neo and a couple of others here–that it probably has a fair bit to do with how early you learn.

]]> By: AcidPoP http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137344 AcidPoP Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:59:44 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137344 My mother forced me to learn music and take piano lesson at 8 or 9. My older brother didn't mind. I remember I was crying on the floor. She said 'no way'. Then later, I had to take ballet classes. I didn't cry but didn't fit neither. See, I was born cow-boy. And had to follow my own flow. Which took me years by the way. I was bad at both. I still have anxieties when I see notes. Or hear Chopin. What a waste. Other than that I always loved music and know art and beauty when I see it. And I love my mother. With time, she gave up on us. What else one can do? My mother forced me to learn music and take piano lesson at 8 or 9. My older brother didn’t mind.

I remember I was crying on the floor. She said ‘no way’. Then later, I had to take ballet classes. I didn’t cry but didn’t fit neither. See, I was born cow-boy. And had to follow my own flow. Which took me years by the way.

I was bad at both. I still have anxieties when I see notes. Or hear Chopin. What a waste.

Other than that I always loved music and know art and beauty when I see it.

And I love my mother. With time, she gave up on us. What else one can do?

]]> By: Donna B. http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137341 Donna B. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:20:25 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137341 Amused Observer... my children may think of that some day. I hope. Gringo -- a knowledge of theory is even more important when it comes to improv... I have a book of Hank Williams songs that give the basic chord and melody... and I delight in embellishing these in an old-fashioned "churchy jazz... honky-tonk..." style. I don't know what to call it, but my father likes it :-) Age at first lesson might have a lot to do with sight-reading. I started at age 6 with a very fine teacher who started me on theory at the very beginning. A willingness to bluff is also helpful :-) Amused Observer… my children may think of that some day. I hope.

Gringo — a knowledge of theory is even more important when it comes to improv… I have a book of Hank Williams songs that give the basic chord and melody… and I delight in embellishing these in an old-fashioned “churchy jazz… honky-tonk…” style. I don’t know what to call it, but my father likes it :-)

Age at first lesson might have a lot to do with sight-reading. I started at age 6 with a very fine teacher who started me on theory at the very beginning. A willingness to bluff is also helpful :-)

]]> By: Blackwater http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137339 Blackwater Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:55:52 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137339 Curious. I learned how to play Terry Wogan's brilliant floral dance masterpiece on my harpsicord as a young lad. Curious. I learned how to play Terry Wogan’s brilliant floral dance masterpiece on my harpsicord as a young lad.

]]> By: Amused Obserer http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137334 Amused Obserer Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:16:05 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2009/12/14/chopin-and-me/#comment-137334 I love this site and your forays into the music and dance of your youth is one of the reasons. It's funny, none of that was important to me but I get pleasure from your pleasure in remembering. Along with a lack of grandchildren my poor mother also had to put up with 3 non musical children, this in a house with 2 fine pianos. LOL, you would be a perfect daughter for her or daughter in law. My mother is a bit of a packrat and between the children is an unwritten rule to give gifts of consumables, she already has many of everything. A few years ago I hired a classical musician to come to the house and play for her as a birthday present. No warning or announcement, I just made sure she would be home and the gal showed up out of the blue and played for my mother. I received phonecalls from relations all over the country the next week congratulating me on the fine present I got for my mom. I'll never be able to top that, you can only get lightning in a bottle once...if that. Thank you for your site. I love this site and your forays into the music and dance of your youth is one of the reasons. It’s funny, none of that was important to me but I get pleasure from your pleasure in remembering.

Along with a lack of grandchildren my poor mother also had to put up with 3 non musical children, this in a house with 2 fine pianos. LOL, you would be a perfect daughter for her or daughter in law.

My mother is a bit of a packrat and between the children is an unwritten rule to give gifts of consumables, she already has many of everything. A few years ago I hired a classical musician to come to the house and play for her as a birthday present. No warning or announcement, I just made sure she would be home and the gal showed up out of the blue and played for my mother. I received phonecalls from relations all over the country the next week congratulating me on the fine present I got for my mom. I’ll never be able to top that, you can only get lightning in a bottle once…if that. Thank you for your site.

]]>