
Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Pianist Emanuel Ax sparkles with the Madison Symphony Orchestra
Isthmus Daily Page – Madison,WI,USA
Madison reviewer likes the player, if not necessarily the repertoire…
For its March 28-30 concerts in Overture Hall, the Madison Symphony
…
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Rachmaninoff fails to fill the hall
Arizona Daily Star – Tucson,AZ,USA
Not “news,” but an interesting time capsule from February 1925:
Maybe folks went to the literature club’s discussion of “Modern English Novels” or possibly
…
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Posted in Ballades, Kay Zavislak on Mar 30th, 2008
The third of Chopin’s four Ballades for the piano has been called “probably the only 19th century ballade with a happy ending (as well as being the only ballade of Chopin’s that ends on a major chord).”
But there’s quite …
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Horszowski: CASALS: Prelude; CHOPIN: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor; Mazurka in B-flat Minor…
Audiophile Audition – USA
Review of a CD compendium of two recitals (in 1984 and 1987) given by the venerable …
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Vivid tribute show transforms theater into old Paris salon
San Jose Mercury News – CA, USA
Another glowing review for the San Francisco production of “Pauline Viardot and Friends,” with special praise for soprano Melody …
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Rubinstein Piano Competition / The heat that shuffled the deck
Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv,Israel
Bravos for the competitors, brickbats for the orchestra, in the latest dispatch from Tel Aviv:
Contestant Irina Zahharenkova, for instance, chose
…
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Marc-André Hamelin: No Limits
Toronto Star – Ontario, Canada
Review of a new DVD of the Canadian artist in concert:
This DVD combines extensive background interviews with a recital at the Ruhr Piano Festival in
…
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Posted in Alexander Tharaud, American Ballet Theatre, Buffalo NY, Chopin Currency, Chopin Singing Society, Dance, Dear Fredric, Dyngus Day, Preludes, Videos on Mar 24th, 2008

Dyngus Day to proclaim Polish pride
Buffalo News – NY, United States
Today we tip our hat to the venerable Chopin Singing Society, proud keepers of the Dyngus Day flame in Western New York…
For the clueless, Dyngus Day
…
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Posted in Chopin Currency, Eternal Sonata, Etudes, fashion, Frederica von Stade, Louis Lortie, Marilyn Horne, Mazurkas, Pauline Viardot, Yundi Li on Mar 23rd, 2008

Today’s Yundi Li Installment:
Yundi Li, pianist
Financial Times – London,England,UK
From the Financial Times, Yundi Li shares his fashion faves:
I wore this today because it’s comfortable but tonight (in Hong Kong to accept the South China Morning Post
…
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Posted in Ballades, Chopin Currency, Dixie State College, George Sand, Introduction and Polonaise Brillante, Lang Lang, Lowri Blake, Nancy Allred, WordStage Vermont, Yundi Li on Mar 22nd, 2008
Chopin & George Sand
Barre Montpelier Times Argus – Barre,VT,USA
A preview of a WordStage Vermont production of “Frédéric & George,” — “an evening of letters, diaries, and memoirs penned by these two paradoxically matched lovers and …
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Hear pianist Dmitri Vorobiev play this poignant Nocturne in B major, Op. 62, No. 1 in a Chopin Project concert performance.
Here’s how it’s described in the 1905 book A Handbook to Chopin’s Works, by George C. Ashton Johnson:…
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
At 90, ‘Piano Jazz’ personality going strong
Roanoke Times – Roanoke,VA,USA
Ageless pianist, author, and radio host Marian McPartland celebrates her 90th birthday, in grand style at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. She …
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Posted in Artur Rubinstein, barcarolle, Chopin Bar, Chopin Currency, George Sand, Jeremy Denk, Marilyn Horne, Murray Perahia, Pauline Viardot, Yundi Li on Mar 20th, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Opera’s elite celebrate music of Viardot
San Jose Mercury News – CA, USA
Another story on the Pauline Viardot stage show in San Francisco, with some fascinating insights from Marilyn Horne:
“She helped Wagner raise
…
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Chopin News, Rants, Raves, and Reviews:
Two piano stars, but only one dazzles
Toronto Star – Ontario, Canada
No, it’s *not* Lang Lang; this time Yundi Li is being compared to “Macedonian wonder Simon Trpceski:”
Beneath the metallic
…
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Posted in Chih-Long Hu, Waltzes on Mar 19th, 2008
Is this indeed Chopin’s “farewell” to his Polish fiancee Marie Wodzińska? The autographed manuscript has the inscription “Pour Mlle Marie.” We’ll let the “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” blog pick up the story…with a tip of the …
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Posted in Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Artur Rubinstein, Ben Agosto, Chopin Currency, fiction, figure skating, Ice Dancing, Lang Lang, Mazurkas, Nocturnes, Tanith Belbin, Yundi Li on Mar 18th, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Belbin, Agosto taking a classical approach
Boston Globe – United States
Chopin turns out to be the missing ingredient in the ice-dancing tandem’s Quest for Gold….
[Tanith] Belbin and [Ben] Agosto are the most successful
…
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Lauded opera legend Viardot honored in tailor-made show
Examiner.com – USA
Rave review for theatrical/music program dedicated to Chopin amie Pauline Viardot (see previous entry):
Their combined brilliance is astounding. Two of America’s greatest living
…
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Chinese pianist hits all right notes in concert
Colorado Springs Gazette – Colorado Springs,CO,USA
Glowing review of pianist Joyce Yang‘s appearance with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic…
But it was her performance of Chopin’s Piano …
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Posted in arrangements, Ballades, Cecile Licad, Chopin Currency, Evgenia Rubinova, Fantaisie-Impromptu, fiction, Heroic Polonaise, Kurikinton Fox, Lang Lang, Mazurkas, Piano Concertos, Yundi Li on Mar 15th, 2008
Posted in Chopin Currency, Dance, Etudes, fiction, Heroic Polonaise, Jerome Robbins, journals, Lang Lang, Martha Argerich, Mazurkas, New York City Ballet, Oliver Sacks on Mar 14th, 2008

Kicking against convention: a scene from The Concert, a clever and …
This is London – London,England,UK
Another one of Jerome Robbins’ famous interpretations of Chopin, from the New York City Ballet performance at the London Coliseum….(be sure to read …
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Posted in Artur Rubinstein, Artur Rubinstein Piano Competition, Chopin Currency, Deep Purple, Dmitri Tymoczko, Konstanin Igumnov, Mazurkas, Preludes, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Yundi Li on Mar 13th, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Pianist’s intense preparation and talent have brought him global …
Schenectady Gazette – Schenectady,NY,USA
Another preview for the current recital tour of 2000 Chopin Competition winner Yundi Li, who’ll play Sunday March 16th at …
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Posted in Artur Rubinstein, Chopin Currency, Chopinzee, Dance, Her Name is Sabine, Jerome Robbins, Nocturnes, San Francisco Ballet, Sandrine Bonnaire, Shura Cherkassy, Vladimir de Pachmann, Vladimir Horowitz on Mar 12th, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Method & madness: The oddities of the virtuosi
Independent – London,England,UK
This just in: A lot of great pianists of the ages have been more than a little crackers. A dissection on the eccentricities and …
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Posted in Chopin Currency, circus, Dance, Dmitri Tymoczko, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, mathematics, Oh Ah-Mi, Piano Concertos, Preludes, Waltzes on Mar 11th, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Cellist Oh Ah-mi’s Courageous Crossover
Korea Times – South Korea
The world’s first self-described “crossover cellist,” breaks conventions by adding dance moves to the still-standing cello performance. “I am inspired by Vanessa Mae’s passionate playing …
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Posted in Artur Rubinstein, Chopin A La Moog, Chopin Currency, Hans Wurman, Jean-Francois Latour, Lennox Berkeley, Marie Chouinard, National Ballet of Canada, Preludes, Warsaw Philharmonic on Mar 10th, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
National Ballet’s versatility shines in triumphant trio
Globe and Mail – Canada
RAVE review for National Ballet of Canada program that leads off with post-modern interpretation of the Chopin Preludes, courtesy of Quebecois choreographer Marie …
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Pianist Alfred Brendel to give his final Chicago performance
Chicago Tribune – United States
On his farewell tour of the USA, pianist Alfred Brendel is not in the mood to second-guess his repertory choices over …
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Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:
Music and ‘the Man’
In-depth profile of pianist Byron Janis, who describes his affinity for Chopin:
But it was a Polish composer who may have had the greatest influence: Chopin was always a favorite, and …
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Posted in Alexander Tharaud, Artur Rodzinski, Chopin Currency, Etudes, Eun Joo Chung, Frederic Mompou, Hans Graf, Impromptu (movie), Lang Lang, Paul Badura-Skoda, Piano Concertos, Preludes, Vienna State Opera Orchestra on Mar 7th, 2008

Chopin News, Previews, Rants, and Reviews:
Live: Lang Lang
Yesterday we brought you two views of Yundi Li; today it’s the “other” superstar Chinese pianist’s turn. Mark Swed of the LA Times is both impressed and appalled:
Tuesday night, he
…
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Posted in Arthur Greene, Waltzes on Mar 6th, 2008
Posted in Chopin Currency on Mar 6th, 2008
Google News Alert for: chopin
What can a non-musician learn from a master class in piano?
Twin Cities Planet – Minneapolis,Minnesota,USA
He asked; “What emotion do you feel this Chopin Nocturne is communicating? “ For half an hour they went …
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Chopin News, Previews, Rants, and Reviews:
New award recognizes contribution to the arts
Mississauga News – Ontario, Canada
Some true Chopin 2010 Information…
“Hollywood has its Oscars and Mississauga has its Freddys.
Mayor Hazel McCallion accepted the first Freddy in …
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