The Perfect Four!
First post in awhile I know....
Though I did finally update the links section for those that are interested.
I'll try to add more as I progress later but for now I thought I'd keep it simple. My YouTube Channel is on there, I haven't actually uploaded any videos of myself playing but I'm working on it. I've tagged mostly musical videos of sorts, mostly of my favorite composers, favorite performer, or favorite compositions.
I kept it to my four favorite composers to avoid spending more time finding good links for the other ones. As you'll see and probably in the future, I'm a perpetual worshiper to the works of a man named Beethoven. The other ones include the ever popular Mozart, romantic tycoon Chopin and a little 20th century in Rachmaninoff. I didn't like using the Wikipedia page for Rachmaninoff but I found the internet was lacking a solid page dedicated to him.
Finally, I shall indulge into the reason for why I started this blog, keeping in touch with the love for music idea I've, with some difficulty, listed my ultimate favorite work or movement by each of the four composers I talked about above!
You'll find Youtube videos accompanying each work.
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.29 in B-flat Major, Op.106 "Hammerklavier"
- 4th Movement: The Op.106 Finale begins very mystical, eluding and fantasia like before embarking on one of the greatest and most challenging Fugues ever written! In one of the most challenging works ever written for solo piano Beethoven reserved all intellectual thought and prowess into one of the final four Sonatas he would ever write, the "Hammerklavier" to me stands free of them all. The Fugue alone is an amazing contribution to contrapuntal art and it remains my favorite movement. At times it sounds like everything is just bordering on the edge between total disaster and complete beauty, that sense of dissonance and tension in many ways summarizes the life Beethoven himself lived.
- 1st Movement: "Mozart at his most public and self-confident!" -Jeremy Siepmann. A jubilant and triumphant work that announces its presence moments into its introduction, accompanied by a piano solo among the most challenging ever written by Mozart. The energy and expansive warmth of the orchestral textures provide the backdrop to an amazing musical exploration of Mozart's rising maturity as well as mastery of the classical concerto form!
- 4th Movement: The Finale Presto movement of this sonata remarkably holds over Beethoven as my favorite composition for solo piano!! It opens with rising harmonic progressions to establish the drama, and then divulges into an ever so tumultuous tumble of galloping rhythms, endearing harmonies and priceless accounts of dazzling runs challenging full use of the keyboard. As the end hovers so far away we're suddenly rising again before falling back to earth in a rush of chords similar to its turbulent opening. The conclusion brings the sonata back full circle, and the dust finally settles. Amazing!
- End of 1st Movement, Introduction to 2nd: Never had I heard anything more beautiful then when I heard the Rachmaninoff 2nd Concerto for the first time! It's the only Concerto I've seen performed live with recent memory and I could probably live with that. It is the most popular that Rachmaninoff ever wrote and it clearly deserves that distinction.
The Chopin Finale is No.1 at 144 Times listened! the Rachmaninoff Concerto is ranked 5-7 with the Second movement leading at 105 times listened, next is the 3rd with 98 and the first with 95 listens. The movement from the Mozart Concerto is suitably, ranked 16th at 76 times. The other two didn't make the list as I haven't listened to them enough apparently! neat. if you didn't think I was a nerd, i imagine you do now!
All of the works above are on my alleged, "Lifelong Learning List!!"
Whether I'll end up attempting them, performing them or even doodling with them one day in the practice room remains to be seen....
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