Wednesday, January 30, 2008

a Sad Waltz and a Theremin

"Pay no attention to what critics say. No statue has ever been put up to a critic."
Jean Sibelius (composer of Valse Triste in 1903)

performed in 2006 by the German Chamber Orchestra of Bremen:


and staying on the classical tip, here's a beautiful Rachmaninov piece (Vocalise, 1912) performed on THEREMIN. you have to see it.

Beethoven

I've been searching for a pianist who doesn't play Beethoven like there's a pole up his ass. Claudio Arrau is from Chile where, apparently, they have never even HEARD of poles. Halleluia! (further suggestions would be greatly appreciated)

Here is Arrau playing Beethoven's Sonata No. 21 (part one of 3, with links to the others below). It was written in 1804, when Beethoven was 34 years old, for a patron in Vienna who had made it possible for him to study with Haydn. (The Guardian posted a interesting lecture about it, unfortunately with playing that features the aforementioned pole.)



Part 2
Part 3