The Chopin Currency - Feb. 29, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:

Diavolo to defy the laws of physics Saturday

Preview of Telluride appearance by innovative LA Dance Troupe incorporating Chopin into their latest show: "Diavolo is comprised of dancers, gymnasts, actors and rock climbers who perform together like teammates with astonishing athleticism. Working with architectural structures and props, the company offers the audience a cinematic experience of powerful images and abstract narratives. Think Cirque du Soleil minus the glitzy production values...."
The Daily Planet - Telluride,CO,USA
“Knock-turne” is a pun on the Chopin composition. “This dance is two duets. In the first, we manipulated Chopin’s ‘Nocturne.’ For the second, we use an ...
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Richard Goode

Thumbs-up review from the Guardian of pianist's much-anticipated Chopin-focused recital in London: "Yet each time Goode returned to Chopin, it was like a homecoming. He found insight in the relative simplicity of the mazurkas, and even virtuoso works such as the Op 54 Scherzo and the Op 44 Polonaise didn't sound like tricksy showpieces."

Guardian - UK
There are pianists who give Chopin a bad name, using his showpieces as a vehicle for flashy, brittle brilliance. Then there is Richard Goode. ...
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Richard Goode at the Queen Elizabeth Hall

The Times of London, on the other hand, liked the programming, but not the player: "The evening was rewardingly programmed. The spirit of dance transmigrated from Bach to Chopin in Goode's four Mazurkas, but how I longed for clearer articulation, tauter sinew, more sense of their pungent language. By the time Goode reached the Impromptu in F sharp the loud gurgling of breath which accompanied his performances at their most ardent became not so much an ignorable mannerism as a serious distraction."

Times Online - UK
The spirit of dance transmigrated from Bach to Chopin in Goode's four Mazurkas, but how I longed for clearer articulation, tauter sinew, more sense of their ...
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Entertainment briefs
Polish-born now-Minnesotan pianist Tadeusz Majewski plays in Rochester, MN: Post-Bulletin - Rochester,MN,USA
Majewski, who began his piano studies at the Chopin Lyceum in Krakow, left Poland in 1981 and settled in Minnesota. He continued his studies and then ...
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Thoroughly modern Tomoko

Experimental Japanese pianist/visual/performance artist Tomoko Mukaiyama plays Prague: " Along with changing the visual context of her performances, Mukaiyama has also changed the aural content, essentially borrowing a visual arts technique to construct “collages” of disparate pieces that take on new meanings through unusual juxtapositions. “I take small parts of pieces and make a mosaic,” she explains. “You might hear Chopin, but because I put Chopin between Thelonious Monk and Sergei Zagny, the identity of Chopin disappears."
She will be using that technique for her Sonic Tapestry piece at Archa this week, zigzagging from Chopin and Debussy to Monk and Ligeti, with original improvisational passages serving as transitions. No visuals for this performance; instead, the centerpiece is a Fazioli piano. “I’m not making a commercial about it, but it’s a favorite of mine, a beautiful Italian instrument with singing tones and gorgeous harmonics,” Mukaiyama says.

Prague Post - Czech Republic
“You might hear Chopin, but because I put Chopin between Thelonious Monk and Sergei Zagny, the identity of Chopin disappears. ...
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Chopin in the Blogosphere:

Chopin

A modern-day interpretation...

By Beatrice Feo Contemporary Art
Beatrice Feo Contemporary Art has posted a doc:
Everyone's docs - http://www.ipernity.com/explore/latest/doc

Chopin's Birthday ...
By hoa_dao(Eternal Sonata / Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream)
Our dear Chopinetto's birthday is coming up (March 1) so if you want to do something special for ES, now's the time! It can be anything, fanart, fanfiction, fanpoetry (?), or any other crazy fan stuff you can think of! ...
Eternal Sonata - http://community.livejournal.com/torasuti_beru/

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 28, 2008

Chopin New, Reviews, and Previews:

Celebrated pianist Brendel to take final bows with Cleveland Orchestra

What will undoubtedly be the first of many "career-retrospective" items about Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel as he begins his farewell tour of the USA. In the article he discusses the situation for concert pianists at the start of his career: "One of the things that helped me sort it out was the fact that in my young years, there were still two types of great pianists: one who mainly played a large Central European repertoire and the other one who was a Chopin specialist. At that time, it was taken for granted that to play Chopin well, one needed specialization." While Brendel opted for the former route, he believes he might have played more Chopin if he had taken time to explore the composer's music....

The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com - Cleveland,OH,USA

Chopin in the Blogosphere:



Thursday Thirteen #26 The Saga of Frederick and Georg

More about the relationship between Chopin and Georg Sand from our intrepid LA blogger...interesting graphics to accompany the story....including the picture (left) of a few bars of Chopins's beloved Nocturne in E flat Major (Op. 9 No. 2) written down in an album of Chopin's former fiancee Marie Wodzinski.

By Lara Angelina(Lara Angelina)

When we last left our couple, they had just met and while it seems that Georg was "warm for Chopin's form", he did not initially return the feeling. However, I need to back up the track a bit, to explain that when Chopin met Sand, ...Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing - http://larachronicles.blogspot.com/

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 27, 2008

Chopin Commentary, News, Reviews, & Previews

Answers to Reader Questions

Celebrated neurologist and author Oliver Sacks responds to New York Times' readers queries about "amusic" migraine auras. Sacks recounts a passage from his best-selling book "Musicophilia..."
New York Times - United States
On the first, I was driving along the Bronx River Parkway, listening to a Chopin ballade on the radio, when a strange alteration of the music occurred. ...
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Lang Lang Plays Recital With LA Orchestra
Huliq.com, a new site of "citizen blogger journalism" prints full press release announcing Lang Lang recital at Disney Hall on March 4....
HULIQ - Hickory,NC,USA
He went on to win first prize at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians Competition and played the complete 24 Etudes of Chopin at the Beijing ...
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Beethoven and the Bronx

Nice profile of pianist Richard Goode in UK daily in advance of his next performance in London... "This season, he has taken on a role as the first associate artist at the Southbank Centre in London. Goode began his residency last autumn by giving a recital with soprano Dawn Upshaw that included Schoenberg's rarely heard song cycle The Book of the Hanging Garden. This month, he returns to London for a solo recital of Bach, Chopin, Mozart and Debussy, a series of masterclasses and a lecture recital devoted to Chopin. In May, he makes his final appearance in a piano duo recital with fellow American Jonathan Biss."

Guardian Unlimited - UK
This month, he returns to London for a solo recital of Bach, Chopin, Mozart and Debussy, a series of masterclasses and a lecture recital devoted to Chopin. ...
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CLASSICAL MUSIC

Hungarian pianist Peter Petris emerges from artistic hiatus for a DC-area recital with mixed results...
Washington Post - United States
The three Chopin dances, including the famous C-sharp Minor and "Minute" waltzes of Op. 64, were rhythmically destabilized by a curiously eccentric rubato. ...
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More Chopin Currency:

Chopin calling card
By Administrator
The Chopin calling card offers crystal quality of connection and lowest overseas and domestic calling rates to multiple destinations. Chopin phone card provided by NTC telecom carriers and has Global Access numbers all over the world. ...
Telecom blog - Calling cards,... - http://phonebestcard.com/blog

Chopin in the Blogosphere

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

A musician's favorite Chopin? An inscrutable site.....

By Mark Alburger(Mark Alburger)
Frederic Chopin (March 10, 1810 - October 17, 1849) Nocturne in Eb (1830) Etude ("Revolutionary"), Op. 10, No. 12 (1831) Mazurka in Bb Major, Op. 7, No. 1 (1832) Preludes (1839) No. 1 in C Major No. 2 in A Minor No. 3 in G Major ...
Music History - http://markalburgermusichistory.blogspot.com/

Piano no Mori

Chopin anime?

They played chopin one minute waltz. yeah, its a famous song but i still love it cause it's chopin. Oh, and they also played Bhetoven's fur elise, which i hand mimicked along while watching (yay for finger muscle memory haha). oh, ...
Blogs - MyAnimeList.net - http://myanimelist.net/blog.php

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 26, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:

St. Petersburg Ballet pirouettes into the PAC

Well-written review from the UM-St. Louis student paper giving high marks and providing good context for the St. Petersburg Ballet Theater performance...."The program opened with one of the dance masterpieces of the 20th century. Originally developed in 1907 by choreographer Mikhail Fokine as a dance to the music of Frederic Chopin, initially titled "Chopiniana," he later renamed it "Reverie Romantique" and it was later renamed "Les Syliphides" when Sergei Diaghilev's Ballet Russe performed it in Paris..... The dance is a dream of classic, graceful moves, six alternating dances of large and small groups of dancers, set to Chopin's music. The opening Mazurka has the whole group in motion, followed by the dances by pairs and trios and solos.

Current - St. Louis,MO,USA
Originally developed in 1907 by choreographer Mikhail Fokine as a dance to the music of Frederic Chopin, initially titled "Chopiniana," he later renamed it ...
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Vassily Primakov - piano

Preview of Primakov's March 8 appearance in South Africa....
ArtslinkNews - Johannesburg,Gauteng,South Africa
His recent all-Chopin CD for Tavros Records garnered the following accolade from Clavier magazine: ‘…a suave account …played with personal reflection and ...
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Chopin Chatter:

Polish Chopin Gold
Speaking of "The Chopin Currency," Did you know that the Polish mint issued a gold Chopin coin in 1977? Now you do...
By Charles II
I was recently looking for a gold peice issued by the Polish mint in 1977 (?), which Krause puts at $150. I was slightly alarmed when I saw it at €400...has the gold price gone up that far ? I haven't found it with any other dealers.
Coin Talk - The Place to Discuss Coins - http://www.cointalk.org

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 25, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:

Review: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at Auckland Town Hall

Lithuanian pianist Mûza Rubackyté getting some nice attention from the Kiwis: "The opening pages of Chopin's E minor Piano Concerto can be worryingly stolid, but not on this occasion, with the tonal finesse that conductor Christian Knapp brought to them. The themes having been given out, pianist Muza Rubackyte proved the ideal muse to realise their poetry. Totally at one with Knapp's orchestral blend, the Lithuanian came up with matchless octaves, glittering passagework and, above all, the most soulful of rubato...."

New Zealand Herald - New Zealand
The opening pages of Chopin's E minor Piano Concerto can be worryingly stolid, but not on this occasion, with the tonal finesse that conductor Christian ...
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Simon Trpceski, Perth Concert Hall

Another rave review for the much-buzzed-about Macedonian pianist. "His performance of Chopin's Sonata No2 in B-flat minor was breathtaking - fresh, beautiful and simple."

The Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,UK
Performing the works of Chopin, Debussy, Prokofiev and Rachmaninov, Trpceski's technical ability was inspiring while his slower, sensitive playing was ...
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Swedish pianist to perform in Istanbul

Peter Jablonski has got Chopin on the bill for a March 20th recital in Istanbul's Lutfi Kirdar Convention Hall...

New Anatolian - Ankara,Turkey
Jablonski will play a selected repertoire from Haydn, Grieg, Szymanowski and Chopin at Istanbul's Lutfi Kirdar Convention Hall. Jablonski is recognised as ...
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Chopin in the Wired Weird Web:

chopin-op-25-01-a4

From the document-sharing site Docstoc, free downloads of Chopin sheet music. Latest installment is the Etude in A-flat, Op. 25, No. 1
By whitefang
1 13 Et ude As DurFrederic Chopin 1810 1849 Opus 25 Nr 1 3333 3333 4 5 33 2 333 3 4 104 sostenuto Allegro p3 33333 3333 2 4 2 2 3 2.
Docstoc feed for: creative - http://www.docstoc.com/documents/most-recent/

Thomas Pandolfi gives piano recital of Liszt, Scriabin, Chopin ...

DC blogger reviews concert featuring several Chopin works, including the Etude Op, 10 #8 in F "sounding almost unplayable on white keys..."
By Bill Boushka(Bill Boushka)
The pianist offers several CDs, one of which ("Polish Masters") includes the Paderewski Piano Concerto, and Chopin's variations on the march theme from Bellini's "The Puritans" which I had discussed on this blog Sept. 4, 2007.
Bill's Drama and Music News and Reviews - http://billsdramareviews.blogspot.com/

Chopin: Prelude 15 Opus 28 "Raindrop"

Sonoma State flutist music student and blogger discovers Chopin via a video game....
By Emily(Emily)
I first heard Chopin's "Raindrop" prelude in the Halo 3 "Believe" trailer for the game. As you know, I am learning piano this year, and although this piece is much too difficult for me to play right now, I would like to be able to play ...
- http://tunethepiccolo.blogspot.com/

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 24, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, & Previews:

Ivo Pogorelich Plays (1987)

RAVE review of video release of a 1987 recital in a castle in Turin, Italy, of "Croatian superstar at his peak," with special praise for his Chopin performances: "Pogorelich opens with Chopin’s moody, stormy C Minor Polonaise, which permits Pogorelich opportunities alternately to pet or pound his Hamburg Steinway. The caresses can be unbelievably soft, while a sudden sforzato to can cause you to blink. The ever-so-slow unfolding of the Nocturne in E-flat Major turns the sound into haunted raindrops, each phrase reluctantly admitting Chopin’s idiosyncratic harmony. He takes the last chords as slowly as the end of the Sibelius Fifth Symphony. The C-sharp Minor Prelude proves erotic enough to seduce all of George Sand’s descendants, though the cadences wax percussive...."

Audiophile Audition - USA
1958), the Croatian keyboard superstar whose prominence rose as judge Martha Argerich resigned when Pogorelich failed to make the third round of the Chopin ...
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Yundi Li kicks off Wassermann Festival at USU
Preview of concert at Utah State University by Li, a homecoming of sorts for Li, a past winner of the Gina Bachauer Competition in Salt Lake City. 'Mr. Li is extremely well-known in the world market," festival director Dennis Hirst said in a news release. "In his home country of China he is a pop star - he hosts an 'American Idol' type show there, and he was even featured in a Nike television commercial during the summer Olympics held in Greece.'"

Salt Lake Tribune - United States
Yundi Li, former Gina Bachauer Young Artists Piano Competition champion who went on to become the youngest-ever winner of the Chopin competition, ...
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The Chopin Currency - Feb. 23, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, and Previews:

Vienna calling

A unique mixture in Manila: old Vienna with indigenous Filipino culture. The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, led by guest Austrian conductor Ernest Hoetz, performs a traditional Vienna New Year's Day Concert on Feb. 25th, featuring Rudolf Golez, winner of the Chopin Competition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as soloist. "Notably, the concert also aims to promote and advance the indigenous cultures Pala’wan and Tagbanwa. GeoChris Foundations Inc., which aims to promote the dignity of and sustain indigenous cultures with a goal to make them self-reliant communities guided by values of sustainable development, will accept the proceeds of the concert in their behalf."

Manila Standard Today - Philippines
“Rudolf is a great, great musician whose intimate knowledge of the works of Chopin, Strauss, Beethoven and Mozart, will surely excite many who will ...
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The Russian Piano Tradition: Yakov Flier = CHOPIN: Piano Sonata No 2 ...

Mostly positive review of a CD reissue featuring little-known (in America, at least) Soviet-era virtuoso Yakov Flier, known for his tremendous dynamic range: "...The middle section of Chopin’s eponymous Funeral March (rec. 1956) reveals an equally poignant pianissimo from Flier, given the rather tinny quality of his instrument [or perhaps those recording engineers' lack of skill...Ed.]. When the march resumes, we are only a few chords away from Moussorgsky’s Bydlo section from Pictures at an Exhibition...."

The Russian Piano Tradition: Yakov Flier = CHOPIN: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35 “Funeral March’; RACHMANINOV: Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2; Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5; KABALEVSKY: 24 Preludes, Op. ...
Audiophile Audition Headlines - http://www.audaud.com

Chopin in the Vidblogosphere:

My favorite piece by Chopin

A mostly-music blogger in Florida shares a YouTube (audio only) posting of a classic Horowitz recording of the "Raindrop" (Op. 28 No. 15) Prelude....
I have posted or blasted this piece before. This is one that my mother played so beautifully. I sense her presence whenever I hear it. She loved the way Horowitz played Chopin.
RANDOM RAMBLINGS - http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-7XjHoB48fqrJbbAKSqgXLQk-?cq=1

The Chopin Currency: Feb. 22, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, & Previews:

Pianist Diana Fanning

Well-traveled Middlebury-based pianist offers a recital in the Vermont state capital with an emphasis on Chopin: "I have chosen pieces that I have loved for years, and I think they illustrate different aspects of Chopin's artistry, from the utmost delicacy to tremendous power."
Barre Montpelier Times Argus - Barre,VT,USA
Works of Frederic Chopin comprise the entire second half of the program. Fanning says, "I have so enjoyed thinking about the poetic and passionate music of ...
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Debut album 'Equanimity' is dream come true for computer consultant

Computer consultant-turned-composer Ryan Stewart cites Chopin as one of his major influences on his new CD that ranges from "solo piano to lush orchestration."
Deseret News - Salt Lake City,UT,USA
Stewart's influences range from classical works of Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Debussy to jazz icon Harry Connick Jr., New Age artists Vangelis and film ...
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New album shows Alicia Keys as she is
Richmond reviewer notes one of pop diva's trademarks - showing off her classical chops in concert and on disc...
Commonwealth Times (subscription) - Richmond,VA,USA
Keys begins with a piece that bears a striking resemblance to Frederick Chopin's "Nocturne in C minor." The "As I Am (Intro)" ends with a smooth beat laid ...
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Learning the keys to success
Charming essay about a life lesson learned when a Chopin Nocturne brought a young overachiever to her knees... University Daily Kansan - Lawrence,KS,USA
I was working on a nocturne by Chopin, and for nearly two hours every night, I would sit at my piano going over and over each scale, chord and trill. ...
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Allie Hughes Plays the El Mo

This time, it's a Canadian singer-songwriter who gives a nod to Monsieur Chopin as a major influence....
Torontoist - Ontario, Canada
... to hear that she counts Kurt Weill and Stephen Sondheim among her diverse list of influences (that also includes Chopin, Brahms and plenty of Rufus). ...
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Solo Recital by Pianist Yundi Li

Preview of March 18 Toronto recital by budding Chinese superstar pianist, "propelled to international fame when he won first prize at the 2000 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland at the age of 18."

Exchange Morning Post - Waterloo,Ontario,Canada
His upcoming program includes works by Chopin, Liszt and Mussorgsky’s powerhouse Pictures At An Exhibition. Yundi Li was propelled to international fame ...
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Chopin Videos:

Clip"Scherzo No.1" by Chopin

From a new music-instruction site called "Click for Lessons" a video of a California piano teacher

By thomaspenders@comcast.net (Thomas P.)
Chopin scherzo no.1 performd by Thomas Penders.
Enspired Video - http://enspired.com/

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 21, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, & Previews:

Byron Janis Celebrates 80th Birthday 3/10 in Concert with Hensley ...

Celebrated Chopin interpreter (and more recently, composer of Broadway songs) Byron Janis is set to present two shows - celebrating his 80th birthday (and Chopin's 198th!) in March at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza in New York....

Broadway World - New York,NY,USA
The birthday festivities continue with "An Evening of Song with Pianist as Composer with a Touch of Chopin," a concert on Monday, March 10 at 8pm where he ...
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Pianist follows own jazz road

Previewing an appearance in Detroit's Orchestra hall, notes about the classical roots of jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson...
DetNews.com - Detroit,MI,USA
... to a French father and an American mother, the classically trained pianist says he still loves to work his fingers in Bach and Chopin. ...
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Chopin Photos

Chopin's family church

Nice photo of medieval Polish village church where Chopin's parents were married. “28.06.1806. I, Ignacy Marzański, the curate of this church, having delivered three banns on Sundays and not having found any canonical obstacles, this legal marriage of Mr Mikolaj Chopin, tutor in Zelezowa Wola, a bachelor and Ms Justyna Krzyzanowska..."
Church of St. Roch and st. John the Baptist in the village of Brochów, close to the village of...
TrekEarth - Europe Travel Photo Gallery - http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/

Chopin in the Blogosphere:

Thursday Thirteen #25

13 things to know about Chopin, part of an entertaining series from a Southern California blogger. "#13 -- It was not 'love at first sight' for Frederick and Georg [Sand]. "Something about her repels me," he wrote his family. Sand, however, in a letter to a friend in June, 1837, debated whether she should end a current affair to begin one with Chopin -- repelled be damned! -- even though she knew he was reportedly engaged to a woman named Maria Wodzińska."

By Lara Angelina(Lara Angelina)
We were big faves of Frederick Chopin as I was growing up and I've carried that love into my adult life. My mother and I would watch "A Song To Remember" (Cornel Wilde played a robust Frederick and Merle Oberon played a beautiful Georg ...
Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing - http://larachronicles.blogspot.com/

Tudor and Limon Celebrated

From the excellent blog danceviewtimes, a review of an American Ballet Theatre 100th birthday retrospective on the works of Anthony Tudor and Jose Limon:

This "Suite from 'Mazurkas,'" staged by veteran Limón dancer Sarah Stackhouse, includes eight of the work's twelve sections. In a post-performance discussion, she explained that the work was inspired by the company's visit to Poland as part of a 1957 European tour, during which they paid a visit to Chopin's home. She described the individual sections as "little gifts" from the choreogrpaher to each dancer who had been on that tour. Certainly Limón can be seen as being ahead of the curve in creating a Chopin piano ballet, something that became a more familiar type of dance about a decade later.

By Susan Reiter
Limón's 1958 "Mazurkas," which served as the evening's appetizer, is an uncomplicated and sweetly open-hearted piano ballet to Chopin, and thus quite different from what one generally associated with the choreographer. ...
danceviewtimes - http://www.danceviewtimes.com/

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 20, 2008

Chopin Reviews & Previews:

Ivan Hewett reviews Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Cédric Tiberghien at ...
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom

French pianist Cedric Tiberghein receives rave reviews for his Chopin Ballades at his recital at London's Wigmore Hall; critic is less enamored of his Beethoven...

He glided on to the stage like a blond wraith, and as he played all four Chopin Ballades one after another, his hands seem to glance off the keyboard. ...
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Alexander Kanchaveli, RSAMD, Glasgow

Meanwhile, in Scotland, Georgian pianist Alexander Kanchaveli (Third Prize winner in the Chopin Competition in Rome) plays the Fourth Ballade....
The Herald - Glasgow,Scotland,UK
Kanchaveli presented a program of minimal fuss and followed the Sonata with Chopin's Ballade no 4 in F minor, op 52. This piece, though at times wildly ...
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Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Perth Concert Hall
Staying in Scotland, a nice description of Markus Groh making his way through the Second Piano Concerto....
Perthshire Advertiser - Perthshire and Kinross,Scotland,UK
The main work in the concert was a performance of Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto, played by the German pianist Markus Groh. This was a virtuoso performance ...
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Allan, 80, receives the gift of music
Allan Marlow turns 80 today, (20/02) and is looking forward to the performance by Japanese pianist Haruko Seki....
Buckingham Today - Buckingham,UK
... industry for many years, has requested a programme of his favourite music including pieces by Debussy, Schubert, Chopin, Liszt and Gershwin. ...
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Painted Horse adds tasty kick to old faves
Nothing to do with Chopin save for the first line, comparing Rubinstein's keyboard confections with a chef's concoctions....
Arizona Republic - Phoenix,AZ,USA
... to eliminate any live-performance mishaps, the great pianist Arthur Rubinstein recorded a Chopin Polonaise with a few wrong notes and unsteady passages. ...
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Chopin in the Blogosphere:

Chopin and choping

Mixing Fryderyk and firewood in Somerset, England, apparently without benefit of a spell-checker....
By james hastings(james hastings)
Chasing up some contacts. Very exciting times for Speaking Out. Writing features on some amazing Christian ministries and ready to tackle the next stage of the book, while listening to some Chopin. Praise be God.
ClearView - http://foraclearview.blogspot.com/

Chopin Nocturne Op. 48 No. 1

Charming site devoted to student piano performances.
By pattisonpiano
This track was laid down by Stephanie at her lesson last week.
pattisonpiano - http://pattisonpiano.podbean.com

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 19, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, & Previews:

Pianist Lim Dong-hyek Emerges From Slump With Bach

Hearing Bach's Goldberg Variations used in a computer game prompts 23-year old Korean star (studying at Juilliard) to break out of artistic doldrums. Known as an interpreter of Chopin, Lim interpreter calls new repertoire ``stealing a glance of Bach."

Korea Times - South Korea
In 2005 he shared third place with his older brother Dong-min at the International Chopin event, where there was no second prizewinner. ...
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Simon Trpceski touches the soul

Telegraph critic goes to Dorset for run-up to Wigmore Hall appearance by Simon Trpceski, and likes what he hears: "Trpceski's piano-playing is something to be savoured, and on occasion it is a treat just to ponder privately rather than attempting to convey thoughts through prose."

Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom

Buttressed by two classic sonatas - Chopin's Second in B flat minor and Prokofiev's Seventh - the programme touched on the Debussy that Trpceski has so ...
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PANUFNIK: Old Polish Suite; Concerto in Modo Antico; Jagiellonian ...

Tepid review of new CD: It was a desire to restore some of the olden Polish music that led to the creation of the works on this disc. He took many different modes of inspiration from old houses, religious artifacts, and even music from composers of Poland’s rich past, including Chopin. This is an interesting idea for a concept album, but I must be honest in reporting that the music on this release leaves little lasting impression.
PANUFNIK: Old Polish Suite; Concerto in Modo Antico; Jagiellonian Triptych; Old Polish Music – Divertimento after Janiewicz; Hommage a Chopin – Igor Cechoco, trumptet/ Hanna Turonek, flute/ Polish Changer Orchestra/ Mariusz Smolij ...
Audiophile Audition Headlines - http://www.audaud.com

Chopin in the Blogosphere:

Frédéric Chopin

From a Blog called "Tales from the Graveside" - a picture of...well, you get the picture.

By Hermes(Hermes)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin http://www.chopinmusic.net/en/home/
Tales from the Graveside - http://talesfromthegraveside.blogspot.com/

Chopin Videos:

Hee Ah Lee - Frédéric Chopin - Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66

Chopin on nine fingers... By xujiren(xujiren)
A moving story of a four-fingered pianist -
Inspirations from the Net - http://netinspirations.blogspot.com/

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 18, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews, & Previews:

A touch of Old Vienna

The Vienna New Year's Day Concert transported to the Philippines, featuring Filipino pianist Rudolf Golez, sole prize winner of the Chopin competition in Kuala Lumpur....
Inquirer.net - Philippines
28 and Frederic Chopin’s “Grand Polonaise Brillante” and “Spianoto.” Proceeds of the concert will go to the GeoChrist Foundation Inc., which seeks to make ...
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The life of a piano maestro

Sunday paper feature from India...
Deccan Herald - Bangalore,India
Marianne de Nazareth writes about the short life and career of piano maestro Frederic Chopin. If you are a romantic, there is nothing nicer than listening ...
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Gallagher is far from typical

Interesting piano recital in Red Bank, NJ from pianist Kimball Gallagher.
Asbury Park Press - Asbury Park,NJ,USA
Along with these lesser-known pieces will be traditional piano fare, highlighted by a set of mazurkas by Frederic Chopin. Gallagher is of a new breed of ...
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Piano Virtuosos to Give Solo Recitals
More Chopin Prizewinners in concert...Lim Dong-hyek plays in Seoul...
Korea Times - South Korea
The 23-year-old made headlines when he shared the third prize in the 2006 International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition with his brother Dong-min. ...

Chopin in the Blogosphere:

trail of destruction

Something about moving pianos around....

Nonstarving Artists - USA
Pianist errantry was afoot, and I was completely submerged in the Chopin I was playing. The keyboard was a map to the canyons of my mind. ...
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I hate Chopin

And now, for an opposing viewpoint....

By Antonio De Felice(Antonio De Felice)
I simply hate Chopin. Being a pianist, this sounds a bit like a blasphemy. i want philosophy in music, from the irony of Prokofiev to the architecture of Bach... but Chopin's music, bourgeois music for middle class who pretended to be ...
The blog of Antonio De Felice - http://adf-pisa.livejournal.com/

Bass Lesson: "Piano Study Brahms Etude-chopin Var" by Jon Hermansen

A string-bass instruction site using Chopin-a-la-Brahms to teach a lesson...

Style: Classical. Difficulty: Ridiculous. Not really practical, however very important concepts-continue:Please dont get caught up in the complexity, it is not worth it. Just focus on the message of the lesson.
New Bass Lessons - http://www.activebass.com/default.asp?src=ld

Chopin Photos & Images:

Chopin monument
By Ziutograf
Chopin monument Famous Chopin monument in Lazienki Park. Warsaw, Poland. More in Warsaw lightbox: My Park scenes lightbox.
iStockphoto.com - Newest Uploads - http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php?view=full


Frédéric Chopin
By nobody@flickr.com (Jauss)
Jauss posted a photo:. Frédéric Chopin.
Photos from Jauss - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaus/


Chopin Downloads of Dubious Legality:

dwnld: more Fiorentino plays Chopin
Summary: More Fiorentino playing Chopin. ... From Saga XID 5016 19 waltzes and the ... ecossaises op.72c. ... The playing is fabulous, the recording quality is ...
- http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.music.classical.recordings

The Chopin Currency - Feb. 16, 2008

Chopin News, Reviews & Previews:

The Unknown Chopin

Pianist Boris Konovavlov will perform and discuss a special program, "The Unknown Chopin" in Yellowknife....
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
"This time it will be some special event, because the whole evening will be dedicated to the music of Chopin, and I will talk about it, about his music," ...
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REVIEW: Guest pianist's star rises over Fresno
Fresno Bee (subscription) - Fresno,CA,USA
Then came Chopin. Fliter's delivery of the Nocturne in B Major, Op. 9, No. 3 showed an amazing grasp of Chopin's magic harmony as the shimmering texture ...
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Orli Shaham

Orli Shaham in a stunning all-chopin recital in St. Louis. St. Louis Symphony Music Director David Robertson is a surprise guest....
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - MO, United States
Pianist Orli Shaham had the stage to herself in an all-Chopin recital. Well, almost to herself. After an opening barcarolle she talked a bit about ...
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Classical Polish piano whiz makes Boulder debut

Piotr Anderszewski surprises locals by declaring his favorite Polish composer is Karol Szymanowski...
Daily Camera - CO,USA
Anderszewski disappoints those who expect a Polish pianist to play Chopin. "I did play some Chopin at the outset of my career," he says, "but I do not have ...
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Concert review: Conductor/pianist Christian Zacharias with the SPCO
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription) - Minneapolis,MN,USA
The newly named Artistic Partner was incisive in conducting Stravinsky and bewitching in playing Chopin. By LARRY FUCHSBERG, Special to the Star Tribune ...
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Pianist performs at Salvation Army Centre
Louth Today - Louth,England,UK
... Louth, at 7.30pm Sasha Grynyuk will play a challenging programme of piano music by Chopin, Brahms, Mozart, Scarlatti, Bartok and Bach-Busoni. ...
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Chopin Blogs, Videos, and Downloads of Dubious Legality:

Hannah plays Chopin Nocturne #20 in C Sharp Minor

Video of adorable tot playing competent Chopin on out-of-tune Kawai...
By admin
8 1/2 years old Hannah Hua played on a Kawai RX-7 Semi-Concert Grand Piano. Recorded on 07Oct06. ShareThis.
FREE VIDEO DOWNLOAD HERE ! - http://www.musicxeed.com

Chopin Piano Concerto 2 - Emanuel Ax - en Vivo

Looks to be a bootleg of a recent Symphonycast broadcast featuring Emanuel Ax and the Minnesota Orchestra...
Summary: Chopin Piano Concerto 2 - Emanuel Ax - en Vivo ... Minnesota Orchestra ...
newsgroups.derkeiler.com: rec.music.c... - http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.music.classical.recordings

Frédéric Chopin and William Kapell

Proceed at own risk...
By FV(FV)
Twenty-nine of Chopin's (1810-49) mazurkas recorded by William Kapell in the early '50s [click here to download].
Procrastination Under a Groove - http://procrastinationunderagroove.blogspot.com/