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Originally posted by JBiegel: Wow--that's a Presidential welcome aboard! Thanks much. Emanuel--I am touched that you remembered the U of M concert as though it were yesterday--and I do remember the Alexandrian series--is Willis still running the series? You know, I keep the standards going, but recently, I've added so many new things, partly because I find them of interest and presenters are acceting newer works on the series--whereas 20 years ago, works by Keith Emerson and Leroy Anderson were snarled at. I've been mostly busy playing Lowell Liebermann's Third Concerto, which for me, is one of the newest treasures in the repertoire. I'm just now waiting to hear if any dates are being secured to play Keith Emerson's Concerto--it's a wonderful piece written by the pop icon of Emerson, Lake and palmer. keith and I have discussed touring together--I'll play the concerto, and he's got a new piece to share with his fans for piano and orchestra--I'll keep the forum updated as it develops.
Welcome Jeff,
Ok, that did it. Anyone who plays at your level AND likes Keith Emerson most definitely gets my vote.
As I've stated in other posts, Keith Emerson is a major part of the reason Piano World (and these forums) exists. I'm an old rock musician, mostly late 60's early 70's.
Keith was (and is) my hero.
I tried to contact Keith through his web site, but never heard back.
Any friend of his is a friend of mine
If you two do end up playing together, please let me know ... I'm there! And if you could get him to join us .... yikes
OK, I'm off to visit your web site and listen to your performances.
My Keyboards: Estonia L-190, Roland RD88, Yamaha P-80, Bilhorn Telescope Organ c 1880, Antique Pump Organ, 1850 concertina, 3 other digital pianos ------------------------- My original piece on BandCamp: https://frankbaxtermrpianoworld.bandcamp.com/releases
Me banging out some tunes in the Estonia piano booth at the NAMM show...
Thanks, Frank. I was turned on to Keith Emerson's Piano Concerto a few years ago. After I transcribed Balakirev's 'Islamey' for piano and orchestra (which is what Nalakirev had wanted to do at some point but never got to it), it was added to the Theodore Presser rental library. Then I learned the Leroy Anderson Concerto, and was asked to edit and add a few 'piano 2' parts left unfinished by Mr. Anderson in the two-piano reduction. That too, is for sale through Presser and the Piano Concerto is rented through Presser. Shortly thereafter, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich composed the 'Millennium Fantasy' for piano and orchestra for me--which was a 25 orchestra commissioning project I assembled--that too, rented through Presser. At that point, Daniel Dorff, Director of Publications for Presser (and one heck of a composer--I am premiering his new Piano Concerto with the Etowah Youth Orchestra in Gadsden, AL this May--and a couple of mvts from it in Carnegie Hall on June 9 for a youth orchestra festival)told me about the Emerson Concerto of 1977. Keith wanted a company to house it for rentals--and Danny created the two-piano version. He thought I should have a look--and I did. I was mightily impressed--in the style of Ginastera, Copland, Elgar, Baroque second mvt with a Chopinesque piano entry a la Nocturne in f minor--cool stuff. I realized just recently that the concerto is 30 years old, so I called Keith and asked if he'd consider touring together to promote him and the concerto. He agreed, and we're having our agents explore dates--and I'm chomping at the bit to do my part to get the concerto out there. I'd further like to record it--say, with Gershwin, Ellington (New World A-Comin'), and perhaps Zwilich's 'Millennium Fantasy'--though Ellen would like an all-Zwilich disc along with the 'Peanuts Gallery' she wrote in tribute to Charles M. Schulz--and her 'Images for Two Pianos and Orchestra'--she may be right. So--there's the reason of the Emerson/Biegel connection. I will let the forum know when dates for the Emerson come up.
My Keyboards: Estonia L-190, Roland RD88, Yamaha P-80, Bilhorn Telescope Organ c 1880, Antique Pump Organ, 1850 concertina, 3 other digital pianos ------------------------- My original piece on BandCamp: https://frankbaxtermrpianoworld.bandcamp.com/releases
Me banging out some tunes in the Estonia piano booth at the NAMM show...
Thanks, Frank. When I have a few moments here and there, I am enjoying the site and the various queries posted--it will certainly take quite some time to see which ones I might be able to be helpful to.
Hi Jeffrey - I, too, am a new member on this forum. I'm a piano teacher and a classical composer. If there are many members out there with your amazing qualifications I have truly found a gem of a website. I look forward to getting to know everyone out there, amatuer as well as professional.
Warmest welcome, and very impressive repertoire! Loved your rendition of 25/6 on your site!!!
I echo the sentiments of the owner: it is indeed quite a treat to have you here!
Greg
http://www.ecital.net Wikicital: A collaborative effort to build a knowledgebase of classical music history combined with examples. Your chance to both perform and write...
Hi Jeffrey -- I had the extreme pleasure of hearing your performance of Leroy Anderson's Piano Concerto a few years ago. It was awesome! My son was a violinist in the Rogue Valley Symphony, so I attended the rehearsals and the performance. It's a wonderful piece - and you were born to play it! Not only do you have incredible technique, but such an understanding and affinity for the music, and a great sense of humor to boot! Welcome to our Pianoworld family!
Thanks! I adore the Anderson Concerto--and the Rogue Valley orchestra played it so well--with the Ellington 'New World A-Comin' if my memory serves me correct. Hope your son is doing well!
A belated welcome to the board; sorry I was a bit late. It is definitely an honour to have you here and I look forward to your posts.
Leroy Anderson is one of my favourite American lite music composers- is that CD of the concerto currently available? I'd fancy a copy.
I studied in hopes of being a concert pianist, but midway through university fell for the siren of Anglican church music and switched to organ. But I still play the piano everyday and try to maintain my technique. If I'm currently working in London's financial district, well it pays.
Sort of off topic: I was listening to a Master's student of mine play the Liszt Sonata in b minor today--he's in his 20s--quite remarkable in his innate musical gifts--very sensitive. It brought me back 24 years to my playing it for Adele Marcus--those were tough lessons, after all, she studied the piece with Josef Lhevinne and won the Naumburg prize in the 1920s with her incredible performance (her 1950s LP rendition soon to be released). I then sat down and played it cover-to-cover for my student, and it amazed me how much easier the lyrical sections came to me--sure, I have to brush up on the octaves, but the cohesiveness of the piece was what I believe Adele wanted when I was my student's age. It's kinda nice getting older in this profession--somehow, things gel and we can bestow our teacher's lessons to the next generation--what a joy! I only wish Adele could hear me play it now! I do remember through, after several arduous months of rigorous lessons on the Liszt b minor, she heard me play it straight through, paused a moment after I ended the piece, clapped her hands and said to the rhythm of her claps, 'You finally got it, dear!' That was indeed music to my ears! Adele Marcus was old school--the compliments were not freely rewarded--though when they were, it meant alot.
I did record that, and I'd say 99% of those ringtones, if they are still at www.mobiletones.com. I did those when monotone ringtones were the new thing, and I thought it would be rather cool to have cell phones throughout the world resounding with all kinds of tones from the basic periods of music. Now with polyphonic and 'real' time tones, it has replaced this, but it was still interesting to do, and people do buy them.
The Chopin Etude in Thirds was that fast only because I played it as an encore after the Rach 3! I have it on my website playing on one of the pages, as well as Liszt's 'Feux follets' excerpt and Chopin's 'Etude in c-sharp minor, Opus 10, no. 4'--and there may be the Schulz-Evler Strauss Blue Danube excerpt there still--haven't visited the site to listen recently--we change them around sometimes.
I just heard your performance of Cesar Cui's Prelude No. 4 on WETA, the classical music station in the Washington, D.C. area. Incredible! I had been half asleep until I heard the Prelude. It definately woke me up!
How kind of you to post this--it's nice to see the radio stations have been using that disc to fill out programs worldwide. The story: after the 1984 Leeds competition, I met a charming man from DC, Charles Ervin, and his lovely wife, Jane, as they attend many worldwide competitions. While in DC performing a recital in 1990 or 1992, Charles turned me on to the 25 Preludes by Cesar Cui on microfilm. I had a copy made of the set, learned them, and then inquired to Naxos if I might record them for the company. In 1992, I mastered all 25 and recorded them for Marco Polo (a Naxos derivative). That was the same summer my wife was expecting our firstborn and I had to play two weeks before the due date with the BBC Phil--hectic summer. To boot, I developed some weird Lymes-like bug, but plowed through the Cui for a September session. It was wonderful to record these in a barn in Valparaiso, Indiana--the home of the brilliant organist Wolfgang Ruehbsam--he had a beautiful Bosendorfer in the upstairs of the barn--yes--animals etc.--soundproofed upstairs of course. It was wonderful breathing in the autumn air and recording the Cui pieces. The cd is now available on Naxos.
They are remarkable pieces--inspired by the likes of Chopin, Schumann, Mendelssohn and others. I edited the set and now need to find a publisher that will take them on for distribution. I think they would be a wonderful addition to the repertoire, much in the way the Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin Preludes exist. I'll keep working on getting the edition out there. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience listening to the 4th prelude.
My Keyboards: Estonia L-190, Roland RD88, Yamaha P-80, Bilhorn Telescope Organ c 1880, Antique Pump Organ, 1850 concertina, 3 other digital pianos ------------------------- My original piece on BandCamp: https://frankbaxtermrpianoworld.bandcamp.com/releases
Me banging out some tunes in the Estonia piano booth at the NAMM show...
Originally posted by JBiegel: It was wonderful to record these in a barn in Valparaiso, Indiana--the home of the brilliant organist Wolfgang Ruehbsam--he had a beautiful Bosendorfer in the upstairs of the barn--yes--animals etc.--soundproofed upstairs of course. It was wonderful breathing in the autumn air and recording the Cui pieces.
The recordings must be very mooooving
accompanist/organist.. a non-MTNA teacher to a few
Don't cow-nt on it--it was actually the piano which made the barn sing--we didn't 'horse' around--got right to the 'moo-sic'; I wasn't at all 'sheep-ish' about recording the preludes. I was a bit 'chicken' about some of the more technically difficult ones, and thought I'd have some night-'mares' about not getting through them all, but the engineer got my 'goat' and I settled in for some fine sessions. (Hm--a sense of humor after all!)