Reilly, Chopin And Strayhorn
By Rifftides

From jazz journalist Doug Ramsey’s Rifftides blog on Artsjournal.com, a fascinating performance by jazz pianist Jack Reilly…

That led to a search that turned up video of Reilly in a performance that melds Chopin and Strayhorn. His subtle key changes are central to the fun and fascination. .

Rifftides – http://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/

Horowitz – Chopin
By David Berner(David Berner)

Vancouver BC talk show host/nascent politician posts video of Vladimir Horowitz playing a movment from Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 at the White House in 1986. For No. Apparent. Reason….

David Talks/The Berner Monologues – http://thebernermonologues.blogspot.com/

Sejm declares 2010 Year of Chopin
Thenews.pl – Warsaw,Poland

The Polish Parliment makes an Official Proclamation, preceded by “lively debate.” And just what DID happen to the Piano in the House?

The Sejm, Polish lower chamber of parliament, has unanimously passed a bill declaring 2010 the Year of Frederic Chopin.

The vote on the bill was preceded by a lively debate. Minister of Culture Bogdan Zdrojewski stated that the primary objective would be to celebrate and popularize the work of Chopin, adding that the celebrations around the Year of Frederic Chopin, which also marks his 200th birthday anniversary, will require a certain amount of organized effort.

Zrojewski concluded in saying that some work is already in progress, like renovating the seat of the Frederic Chopin Association (TFIC) in Warsaw.

Wide-ranging preparations for the Chopin Year also include a thorough refurbishment of the manor house in Zelazowa Wola near Warsaw, the composer’s birthplace, and the opening of a Chopin Centre in Warsaw.

MP Tadeusz Cymanski from the Law and Justice (PiS) opposition reminded his colleagues that there was a piano on display in the parliament’s building since 1989 but it was sold last year in what could be regarded as rather unclear circumstances. Cymanski expressed hope that the instrument will return to the Sejm.

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Chopin: 10 steps to greatness
Telegraph.co.uk – United Kingdom

Coinciding with the launch of the BBC Radio 3 Chopin broadcast extravaganza – a Top Ten-type list of reasons of what makes Fryderyk so distinct:

4 Conquering the world

Chafing in Warsaw, the 21-year-old Chopin set off round Europe, pitching up in 1831 in Paris. Within a few months he was friendly with writers such as Victor Hugo, painters such as Delacroix and of course musicians including Liszt and Berlioz. All these arts were becoming more “poetic”, but what Paris lacked was a “poet of the piano”. Chopin was attractively melancholy, always à la mode, and had impeccable manners.

5 Being the perfect romantic

In 1832 Chopin gave his first concert in Paris. He hated the experience, and in all his life gave no more than 30. But those were enough to make him the perfect image of the romantic pianist. One critic said: “Nothing equals the lightness, the sweetness with which this artist preludes on the piano.” Chopin’s Nocturnes and Waltzes are the perfection of the Romantic miniature – but small doesn’t mean negligible. “Guns buried in flowers” is how Schumann described them.

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Whatever Happened to Michal Baranski?
All About Jazz – Philadelphia,PA,USA

A check-in on the careers of a trio of teen prodigies from Poland, including jazz/classical pianist Mateusz Kolakowski:

Nine years ago, the clarinetist, improvisational whistler and musical educator Brad Terry hosted in the United States three young musicians he had worked with in Poland. I mean young.

Mateusz Kolakowski, the pianist, was thirteen. In this picture from that period, we see him with Terry. Bassist Michal Baranski and drummer Tomek Torres were fifteen. Terry toured the country with them in his old Dodge van, overnighting in RV parks and driveways and playing whenever they could, sometimes in paying gigs.
[...]

As for Baranski’s former trio mates, Kolakowski is still pursuing Chopin, Paderewski and jazz. Torres, though he is Polish, is exploring his Latin heritage.

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Pianist Hamelin sets high bar
Denver Post – Denver,CO,USA

A preview to a Denver recital appearance by pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, where he reveals his Chopin-inspired composing ambitions:

In addition to a couple of Haydn sonatas, two Chopin works and Leopold Godowsky’s Symphonic Metamorphoses on Johann Strauss’ “Wine, Women and Song,” Hamelin will perform two of his recently composed etudes.

“They are part of my soon-to-be-completed project to compose an etude in every minor key,” said the virtuoso, who began his piano studies at age 5 on the urging of his pharmacist father. “I was much younger when I started the project, but then, composing was never the preponderance of my work. I think of myself as a pianist who writes, not the other way around.”

Hamelin describes his compositional style as “tonal with lots of chromaticism.”

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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:

Dave Brubeck wins medal for spreading jazz abroad
Reuters – USA

The legendary jazzman comes to Washington DC to be honored by the State Department – and to explain his connection to Chopin (including a visit to Poland a half-century ago. He says: “Now, I’m about to play a cold piano with cold hands. I would like to say about the piece that my mother was part Polish, and loved Chopin. When I went to visit the Chopin Museum I took that thought with me to the next concert. I tried to say to the Polish audience dziekuje, (thank you)...It’s a hard thing.”

“As a little girl I grew up on the sounds of Dave Brubeck because my dad was your biggest fan,” U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at ceremony where Brubeck received the department’s Ben Franklin Award for public diplomacy.

“Thank you for your patriotism and your leadership in representing America by introducing the language, the sounds and the spirit of jazz to new generations around the world,” she added.

Best known for his quartet’s 1959 hit “Take Five,” Brubeck, 87, then sat down at a piano to play his improvisational piece “dziekuje,” which means “thank you” in Polish, composed partly in memory of his mother’s love for Polish composer Frederic Chopin.

Watch the video of Brubeck here – he appears about 24:00 in:

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Ohlsson’s firm, eclectic recital
Washington Times – Washington,DC,USA

Kudos for an accomplished “industrial-strength” recital by 1970 Chopin Competition winner Garrick Ohlsson….

Mr. Ohlsson followed the Prokofiev with Frederic Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58. Composed in 1844, it is distinctive for its expansive structure which, like the Prokofiev, adds a fourth movement to the sonata form’s conventional three.

The artist launched the Chopin with a stirring allegro maestoso, though we wish he hadn’t skipped the repeat of the opening motif. The brief, rapid scherzo, which follows, oddly (or intentionally) foreshadowed the Scriabin sonata scheduled later on the program.

After a thoughtful “Largo” movement, Mr. Ohlsson’s sweeping, majestic take on the finale was notable for its impeccably clean passagework.

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Kudos to music critic
MiamiHerald.com – Miami,FL,USA

How often do you see THIS headline? (The review in question is summarized in the April 3 Chopin Currency)

Re Lawrence A. Johnson’s April 2 review, Yundi Li shows more fire than poetry: Hats off to your classical music critic for a well-balanced review.

As a long-standing member of the Chopin Council of Miami, it was very pleasing to read this well-written review, which gave an accurate description of this young pianist’s performance. Congrats to Johnson, who has found favor with our classical enthusiasts in South Florida.

ROY S. TENN, Palmetto Bay

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Piano instructor to play in Poland
Henderson State University Oracle – Arkadelphia,AR,USA

Arkansas piano prof to head to Chopin’s old Academy for the summer…

John Lee Roberts, instructor of piano and adjunct professor in the keyboard division at Henderson, will attend and perform at an intensive summer program in Warsaw, Poland this summer.

Roberts was invited by Dr. Andzej Dutkiewicz, professor of piano and head of Contemporary Music Studies at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music as part of the academy’s 10th Anniversary of “From Chopin to Gorecki — Sources and Inspirations.”

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