In my last post on this subject, I talked about how important it was to listen to a composer’s recordings of his own works. I’ve always been endlessly fascinated by this – it provides a unique look into the mind and musical thought patterns of composers. And, of course, it’s tremendously inspiring when they [...]

Last night I made my last scheduled performance of the Chopin B Minor Sonata for the foreseeable future. I’ve been performing it in public since February and have only been playing it for about a year, and I have only really loved it about that long. Growing up, I spent endless hours listening to recordings. [...]

I came across this extraordinary video the other day. This talented woman, Joanna Lange, apparently suffered a stroke  twenty years ago which left her right side paralyzed. She has since spent her time at the piano studying the left-hand repertoire, including this Chopin/Godowsky study. Enough typing, though; this pretty much speaks for itself. A memorable [...]

I was talking with a good friend recently about a Prokofiev piano piece called “Suggestion Diabolique.” I had sent him a link to a performance I thought was incredibly vulgar, messy, and unnecessarily violent. I had thought it would get a laugh, but started a very interesting exchange. I mentioned that my favorite performance of [...]

Spring has sprung in New Hampshire! And tomorrow (tax day – UGH – ) my second CD for JRI Recordings is released! So, once your taxes are done and you have a chance to take a deep breath, treat yourself! This CD, which I recorded back in 2006 with Bass-Baritone David Ripley, is the perfect [...]

Just the other day, I returned home after a little over two weeks on the road. I opened the front door, plopped my luggage down in the entryway, and returned to the car to finish emptying it. When I came back into the house, this is how I was greeted: I wonder what he’s saying? [...]

Listening to records is something that hardly ever happens anymore. I must admit that I have gotten used to the pristine sound of digital recordings – they can make you feel as though you’re right in the room. But this wonderful video made me think. Somehow, the scratchiness of the 78 rpm brings the recorded [...]

Vladimir Horowitz was a notoriously private person. He didn’t trust most people in his life, was always suspicious of friends, and weary of the press. He WAS a very shrewd businessman, but that’s for another post. This being said, there are precious few recorded ‘interviews’ of Horowitz in an unguarded, relaxed state. For some reason, [...]

Yesterday I came across this article in the New York Times. Those who know me well are aware of my love of a certain Jazz era – Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, and so forth. Ella, for me though, is the greatest. One of the wonderful things about being interested in living artists is [...]

Here’s something a little different! I can often be found cruising YouTube during practice breaks – looking for a little relief from the constant concentrating that practicing requires. More often than not, I’m looking for something that will make me laugh; after all, who couldn’t use a good laugh these days? With that said, I’ll [...]