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<div>Mary,</div>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>thanks
for the links, I downloaded them all on my iPod and started listening
to them. They are revealing, and I'm happy to be able to listen
to them time and again. I've attended some of these talks
"live", but I find it very useful to stop and reflect on
Schiff's comments. </div>
<div>In my opinion, Schiff is a particularly endowed and intelligent
pianist, and he obviously loves to guide the audience towards a deeper
understanding of the music he plays. I've always admired his
self-restraint, his sense of understatement, but also his
self-reliance.</div>
<div>I assisted to many of his concerts here in Milano, where he has
regularly played for many years now: he often prefers to present
thematic cycles: I remind a Bach cycle - a very accomplished one (a
testimonial is his first recording of the Goldbergs - the Decca
one, not the later ECM -, one of my favourites. apart from Glenn's, of
course. When he played it in concert, he asked the audience not
to applaude). </div>
<div>He also played all of Beethoven's sonatas and an extensive and
very emotional Schubert cycle - by the way, I'm so sorry that Gould,
although admiring Richter's interpretation, never recorded Schubert's
sonatas, especially the late ones: with his super-human sense of form
(the Goldbergs, Beethoven's Bagatelles) he would probably have greatly
enriched our understanding of these tragic pieces.</div>
<div>Like Glenn, Schiff is my opinion one of the not so frequent
"thinking pianists": he's not only a virtuoso, but tries to
convey a coherent "philosophical" message, embracing all the
music he deals with. I also appreciate his willingness to
teach without putting himself in a metaphorical pulpit - this
remembers me of the wonderful lectures Leonard Bernstein used to
give.</div>
<div>A suggestion: listen to his recordings of the works of György
Kürtag and Leos Janacek.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Kpapademas, I too have recently been listening to Glenn's
Sibelius album: wonderful! Among his less frequented but
revealing recordings, I would also include Strauss's Sonata and
Brahm's Intermezzi.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Stefyz, I've been careful to remove any personal or academic
reference - although I can't understand the importance, negative or
positive, they have for you: personally, I couldn't care less.
I was surprised by the vehemence of your message. Hope this time
I'm not touching any sensitive nerve ...</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Marco</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Awfully quiet around here lately I must
say - still catching up with your Leonard Cohen albums? "The
Future" is my favourite ... not for nothing the GG Prize,
n'est-ce pas?<br>
<br>
Just last week I found a series of "live" lectures on
Beethoven's Sonatas given by Andras Schiff in London and I fell under
the spell. Has anyone else heard them? If so, will you please comment
on them? I wept during the second 'movement' of Opus 111, I just fell
apart: it wasn't because of Schiff's narrative, it was the music and
how Schiff played it. There is no irony intended here for those of you
who might be chuckling. No no. Sorry. I really blubbed and was
relieved not to have been among the 'publicke' in such a state
although there must have been plenty of people in the audience who
found themselves wiping away tears and suppressing sobs, if the
amplitude of the<u> belated</u> applause accounts for anything;
applause which Schiff had already expressed was not entirely welcome
in such circumstances. Here at my little home station I applauded as
well, loud and clear, once the shock of beauty's sting had pulled its
weight of tears from my soul. Then I staggered to the window for an
eyefull of night sky. <br>
<br>
Unfortunately the first "three parts" of this series/link
are no longer completely active (there are just a few brief moments of
music or discourse and then silence).<u> The 'series' begins at:
"Part Four: towards The Pastoral"</u>. I began listening at
Part Eight and without ever intending to do so I did nothing other
than listen<u> for an entire evening</u> (and then I blubbed and then
I went outside for a walk in the night).</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
<a
href="http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/page/0,,1943867,00.html"
>http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/page/0,,1943867,00.html</a><br>
<br>
<i><b>Spoiler alert: Schiff plays Sonata 14 Opus 27 no. 2 as
fast as ...</b></i><br>
<br>
<font color="#C00000"><b>SOS</b></font>: can anybody tutor me on how I
can keep these downloads from The Guardian?<br>
<br>
Mary<br>
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