Very glad to hear your appreciation of Billy Joel, a great composer of, yes, shorter pieces yet perfectly written lyrically as well as musically. His voice is also an instrument which can have subtle nuances which most singers do not have. Needless to say though I listen to complex longer music(though complexity and challenging new concepts are there in shorter time frames like Webern)from Palestrina to Bartok. Steve Reich is kind of memorizing too.

Really enjoyed this. Thank you for the thoughtful responses. Please do this again! I wonder if there is a way to merge this format with your typical format. What if you were to take questions on one of your analysis/performance videos, but respond to the questions by way of demonstrating at the piano, rather than just verbally? Just a wild idea....

Thank you so much for your response! It was wonderful hearing from you and I hope to see all your future videos!

I always found it funny that the asturias transcription is a guitar imitating a piano imitating a guitar. Then you just said the same thing. Very interesting stuff as always Cole.

Thank you for this wonderful QandA. Love hearing some of your thoughts on these subjects. I read that Clara Schuman in later life was one of the people that pushed for the idea of Urtext pretty heavily but don't know how true that is. Look forward to your next program!

Interesting questions, and well-informed and erudite answers from you, as always, Cole! You said lots of things that I will be thinking about and I always appreciate your balanced, open thinking - and compassion - on the topics raised. Your comment that "music is music" lifts the lid on that pernicious desire some have to determine the 'worth' different genres of music have in that 'hierarchy of status' academia, in particular, likes to pronounce/pontificate about. I don't think it does us any favours to think about some music being superior and other music being inferior. I know we all like to make value judgements, but really the spectrum of music is just awesome and we should try to resist being even a little elitist! I like to imagine what an alien civilization devoid of music would make of an encounter with humanity . . . and I choose to believe that the only saving grace they would discover is our ability to create music, more so than any other artistic expression. But I admit - I'm biased!

thank youfor your answer. maybe do a q&a every month

I love Rzewski's work, too. He has composed some compelling work for the piano. Carl Vine is another living composer whose works I would very highly recommend. I immediately fell in love with his first piano sonata when I first heard it, and have since discovered the rich body of work he has written for the piano. It is witty, eloquent, and endlessly captivating.

Great questions and brilliant answers. Thank you very much! What brand of piano do favor? Steinway, Beckstein, etc? older instruments, newer instruments?

In the "designing a recital program" comments you didn't mention one thing that should probably be part of the mix: variety of difficulty. As I've heard it said, a program should include a) something that represents a definite challenge, b) something that you can "relax into," and c) some things in between. In my organ recitals I aim for about 35 minutes as an amateur player. I've been told to begin with something assertive, to sort of take charge of the situation, and mostly I've done that. But lately I've been contemplating a program that begins with a set of pieces by Vierne, starting with my favorite, "Legende" (very introspective, the first piece here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/lopqxc6cnNTdhaQ.html). I like thematic programs: my last recital, during Advent of last year, began with eight settings by seven composers of "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland." But I still generally end with a bang, with something that potentially thrills.

Marc Andre hamelin is best pianist how does ge memorise everything and sight read easily

@thenotsookayguy

4 ай бұрын

By practicing and studying. Anyone could do the same with enough effort.

Aha, so you make your recordings in unequal temperament) now i realize, that i wasn't wrong, hearing f-sharp major chords on your piano tuned in somewhat like Werckmeister or Kirnberger temperament, but definitely not in equal one.