Debussy: Nocturne (1892)

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Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was a French composer and pianist.

Debussy was an important figure in music history who broke away from the popular methods of musical composition in the 19th century.  Debussy developed his own original concept of harmony and musical structure.  According to Debussy, each piece of music was its own sound world and not something that should be bound by strict rules.

Here is a recording of a Nocturne for piano by Debussy.

If you like the recording of this piece you can buy it on eMusic or iTunes.  You can also buy the complete cd which contains other piano works by Debussy including this piece.

The Savior’s Triumph – Organ Improvisation by Gerre Hancock

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Gerre Hancock (1934-2012) was an American organist, composer, and one of the great masters of improvisation on the organ.

Here is a recording of Gerre Hancock improvising on the organ.  It is one of a series of nine improvisations that is part of a program called “Praise the Eternal Light.”  The improvisations were inspired by the cathedral windows of the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford Conneticut where Gerre played for these recordings.

The recording of the improvisations is available from the webstore at http://www.proorgano.com.  Search for item #7233 and you will find it.

Dmitri Shostakovich – Prelude and Fugue in f sharp minor

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Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was a Soviet Russian composer, pianist, and one of the most important musical figures of the 20th century.  A lot of his music is dissonant, melancholy, and has elements of the grotesque about it.  A lot of the grotesqueness in Shostakovich’s music is put in there on purpose to get back at Stalin and the communists which made Shostakovich’s life and millions of other people’s lives hell.

Despite all of the hardship that the composer experienced, he did compose some very beautiful music.  The Prelude and Fugue in f sharp minor is quite beautiful.

Here is a recording of the Prelude and Fugue in f sharp minor by Dmitri Shostakovich. It is played by Tatiana Nikolayeva.

Here is a link to the website http://www.amazon.com where you can buy a recording of the complete preludes and fugues by Shostakovich played by Tatiana Nikoloyeva.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Tatiana+Nikolayeva+plays+Shostakovich

Willem de Fesch – Sonate in G Frans Bruggen (soprano recorder), Gustav Leonhardt (harpsichord)

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Willem de Fesch (1687-1761) was a Dutch composer and violone (a bass viol) virtuoso.  He worked in Asterdam, was Kapellmeister (chapel master) of Antwerp Cathedral, and played the violone in Handel’s orchestra in London.

His works include oratorios, duets, trios, solo and trio sonatas, concertos and part songs.

Frans Brüggen is a recorder virtuoso, conductor, and early music specialist.

Gustave Leonhardt is a harpsichordist, organist, conductor and early music specialist.

Here is a clip of Frans Bruggen and Gustav Leonhardt playing a sonata by Willem de Fesch.

Django Reinhardt & Eddie South – Somebody Loves Me – Paris, 23.11.1937

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Eddie South (1904-1962) was a black American jazz violinist.  He has been referred to as the “Black Angel” of the violin.  Eddie was a child prodigy who was trained as a classical violinist.  He later switched to jazz violin because there were more opportunities for black musicians in jazz than in classical music.

In the 1920s Eddie visited Europe and was influenced by Hungarian folk music and gypsy music that he heard.  He later incorporated Hungarian music and gypsy music into his style of playing.

In the 1930s Eddie performed and made recordings with guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.

Here is a recording of Eddie South and Django Reinhardt playing “Somebody Loves Me.”  The recording was made in Paris in 1937.

Eddie South (violin) and Django Reinhardt (guitar) :

You can find mp3 recordings of Django Reinhardt and Eddie South on the website http://www.Amazon.com. The piece ‘Somebody Loves Me’ is also on the cd Classics and Rarities: Django Reinhardt which can also be found on http://www.Amazon.com.

Albert Ammons – Albert’s Special Boogie Woogie

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Albert Ammons (1907-1949) was an American pianist and boogie boogie player.  Boogie woogie was a style of blues piano that was popular during the late 1930s and into the middle 1940s.  In 1938 Albert Ammons did a performance at Carnegie Hall along with Pete Johnson and Mead Lux Lewis (two other boogie woogie pianists) and that event helped to popularize boogie woogie.  Throughout his career, Albert performed with various musicians including jazz greats Benny Goodman, Harry James, Mead Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson.  His playing had a wide influence on many pianists including the great Errol Garner.

Here is a recording of Albert Ammons playing a boogie woogie piece.  It is quite a lively number.  Enjoy.

Albert Ammons boogie woogie:

You can buy this recording on iTunes and eMusic. The links to these websites are listed on the youtube link I have posted. You can buy this piece as an mp3 on Amazon.com. Here is the

http://www.amazon.com/AlbertS-Special-Boogie-Woogie/dp/B005EP68LG/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374786513&sr=8-2&keywords=Albert+Ammons%3A+Albert%27s+Special+Boogie+Woogie

Scriabin Piano concerto

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Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) was a Russian composer and piano virtuoso.  His early compositional style was influenced by Chopin and Tchaikovsky.  The early compositions are very lyrical and even though they are more modern than Chopin and Tchaikovsky, they sometimes sound a bit like Chopin or Tchaikovsky.

Later on in his career, Scriabin’s compositions became gradually more dissonant and abstract.  Rhythmically the music became more complex.  Scriabin also had very big hands (like Rachmaninoff) and could stretch his hands a great distance across the keyboard.  His compositions continue to be very challenging for pianists.

Here is a recording of his Piano Concerto op.20.  This is an early work of Scriabin.  It was written in 1896 when the composer was 24 years old.  It is the first and only piece he wrote for orchestra, and his only concerto. Vladimir Ashkenazy is the piano soloist.

first movement

second movement

first half of third movement

second and final half of third movement

 

 

Suzanne Galer performs Daphne (William Walton)

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Sir William Walton (1902-1983) was an English composer.  He wrote music in many different styles and genres.  Walton composed his first songs when he was 16 years old, and continued to compose songs throughout his life.

His song Daphne comes from a set of three songs.  The music for the three songs is based on Sir William’s ‘Facade’ which is several poems by Edith Sitwell set to musical accompaniment by Sir William Walton.

I find this song to be very touching.  The piano and voice compliment each other well, and the text and music fit together very well.

Here is a recording of Sir William Walton’s song Daphne.  Enjoy.

 

 

Gypsy violinist Roby Lakatos – ‘Két Gitár’ (Music Show, ABC Radio National)

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Roby Lakatos  is a Hungarian violinist who was born into a family of well-known gypsy violinists descended from Jano Bihari (known as the ‘King of Gypsy Violinists’).  Roby Lakatos is an incredible virtuoso on the violin and is also very versatile.  He can play any type of music (classical, jazz, gypsy music).  Roby is also a composer and arranger.  He has performed all over the world in various music festivals and halls in Europe, Asia, and America.  He has performed with several major orchestras, various groups of musicians, and his own ensemble.

Here are two recordings of Roby Lakatos performing live at a radio station with a pianist who is as virtuosic on the piano and Roby is on his violin.  The pianist’s name is Frantisek Janoska.