Piano and Synth Blog

Most people learn to play the piano by learning to sight read the written music. Playing by written music is exactly what the phrase says it is — playing the exact notation on a piece of sheet music. But playing by chord symbol is very different. Instead of following the harmony note by note, the musician follows the chord symbols (i.e. C7 or F) written above the harmonies, filling in the gaps with their own improvisations, fills, or runs.

So begins the press release for Keyboard Workshop’s new DVD course: “How To Play More Piano Notes Without Reading More Notes”

By learning more about chord structures and improvisation, a pianist can be spared the ‘embarrassment’ of gusts of wind taking all their printed music away.

The press releaase itself starts to describe chord notation, though of course it’s encouraging you to buy the DVD.

Read the full press release: Keyboard Workshop has announced the release of a new DVD course titled How To Play More Piano Notes Without Reading More Notes

Richard Thomson reviews Talvin Singh at the New Zealand State Opera House:

As you’d expect, the festival promotion machine took care with their advance description of Talvin Singh’s set. “Low-fi electronica” was bang on, but while the audience was appreciative, you had to wonder whether many of them might have been unexpectedly challenged by the sounds produced by Singh and his Powerbook-shaking partner Oscar Vizan.

Live laptop techno is something fans of electronic music are going to hear a lot more of in years to come. But while the new technology regains something of the excitement of live performances, it comes raw and without the smoothing and compressing of harsh sonic edges that goes on in the studio.

And for people who quickly grew bored by the lush yet soporific noodling that typifies much electronic music, that can only be a good thing. Although Singh’s earlier work, such as the album OK which led to his winning the Mercury Prize in 1999, could never be described as noodling, its washes of synth chords and smooth drum’n'bass styles were rarely less than easy on the ear.

Read the full review: Arts Festival Review: Talvin Singh

During his early days on the Greenwich Village folk scene and continuing through his electric 1966 world tour, Bob Dylan was notorious for tuning his guitar on stage — sometimes taking as long as 20 minutes while his audience fidgeted in their seats. A piano technician would snicker at Mr. Dylan’s leisurely pace: “It’s only six strings, Bob! How about trying 250?”

A piano, after all, is a stringed instrument, just like a guitar, violin or cello. But any comparisons end there, as a piano is more complex than any engine in a Ferrari or any mechanism in a Rolex watch. Your typical modern piano has 230 to 250 strings — the number exceeds 88 because most keys use two or three strings each — with a combined tension of anywhere from 15 to 30 tons. There are thousands of steel, iron, ivory, wooden and felt parts — up to 7,000 in some grand pianos — that need tender loving care.

Here’s an interesting article profiling Barbara Renner, a piano technician who has tuned pianos for classical and jazz pianists, as well as Bruce Springsteen and The Who.

Bill Huesman is a busy man - he has the responsibility for over 90 pianos at NCSA, from uprights to 9-foot, $100,000 Steinway concert grands - plus four harpsichords and one celeste.

In a small upstairs studio at the N.C. School of the Arts, Bill Huesman is bent over the opened keyboard of a Steinway, shaking his head at the wooden intestines spilling onto his lap.

This is one of the problem pianos.

Before the tuxedoed chamber-music concert, before the showy Schubert sonata, even before the daily grind of practice, practice, practice, there is this middle-aged man with a trim, graying beard leaning over the wooden hammers, levers and steel strings of a piano. It is undergoing a checkup and getting a little life support at the same time.

Full story

The big news at the Peoria Symphony Orchestra’s last set at the Civic Center Theater was guest pianist Ji-Yong, a lad of 15 who plays as if he’s 50.
Note-perfect performances by nimble-fingered keyboardists of any age are legion, but Ji-Yong is different. This kid has soul and an incredibly compelling manner when he performs. Something magical happens when he touches the piano keys.

Full story

Dmitri Levkovich played his heart out Sunday night at the final event of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. And the judges noticed.

The 26-year-old from Ukraine took first place in the competition after playing Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor.

“This is too much for me to take,” Levkovich said. “I feel wonderful. This opens up so many opportunities.”

“I put my heart out on the plate.”

Full story

• George Winston is one of the most popular solo pianists in recent history.
• His music is also quite often misunderstood and inaccurately assessed.
• He is widely credited for being one of the creators of ‘New Age’ piano music.
• “I don’t know how one’s image gets created and I’m not really that concerned about it,” Winston said. “But anyone who would characterize what I’m playing as New Age hasn’t been listening very closely. My primary influences are stride piano, people like Fats Waller and Teddy Wilson, and New Orleans R&B, especially players like Henry Butler, whom I’ve been studying for years, as well as Dr. John, Professor Longhair and James Booker. I’ve also done pieces by people like Vince Guaraldi, as well as writing a lot of my own music. I do put a lot of emphasis on melodic interpretation, which might be what has confused some people, but stride and New Orleans R&B are major themes in my music.”
• He often performs and records for social concerns.

Link

• Kit Armstrong is a 13-year-old Califronian studying music at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
• He has composed sonatas, string quartets, a wind quintet, two piano concertos, a cello concerto and a symphony.
• This symphony, “Celebration” was written when he was 7, and premiered by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.
• He is also a math whiz, and he loves tennis, squash, skiing and making complicated paper airplanes.

Link

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 2006-07 season

Paavo Järvi, music director

All concerts are in Music Hall

Sept. 15-16 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Gil Shaham, violin. Brahms, Academic Festival Overture, Op.80; Brahms, Violin Concerto in D Major, Op.77; Brahms, Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op.68. 8 p.m.

Sept. 22-23 - Paavo Järvi conducting; William Winstead, bassoon. Duruflé, “Three Dances,” Op.6; Mozart, Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major, K.191; Franck, Symphony in D Minor. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Sept. 29-30 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Truls Mørk, cello. Tubin, Symphony No. 11; Schumann, Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op.129; Bruckner, Symphony No. 6 in A Major. 8 p.m.

Oct. 6, 8 - James DePreist conducting; Louis Lortie, piano. Persichetti, Symphony No. 4, Op.51; Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op.21; Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op.90, Italian. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Oct. 13-14 - Andrey Boreyko, conducting; Hilary Hahn, violin. Tchaikovsky, “Voyévoda,” Op.78; Britten, Violin Concerto No.1, Op.15; Prokofiev, Suite from “Romeo and Juliet.” 8 p.m.

Oct. 27-28 - Robert Porco conducting; Twyla Robinson, soprano; Kelly O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Stanford Olsen, tenor; William McGraw, baritone; May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director. Britten, “Cantata academica”; Bach, Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068; Schubert, Mass No. 2 in G Major, D.167; Vaughan Williams, Five Mystical Songs. 8 p.m.

Nov. 3-4 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Dmitry Sitkovetsky, violin. Bernstein, “Slava! A Political Overture for Orchestra”; Prokofiev, Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op.63; Shostakovich, Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op.60, Leningrad. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Nov. 10-11 - Paavo Järvi conducting. Messiaen, “L’Ascension: four méditations symphoniques”; Mahler, Symphony No. 9 in D Major. 8 p.m.

Nov. 16, 18 - Gianandrea Noseda conducting; Leon McCawley, piano. Schnittke, “Moz-Art à la Haydn”; Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K.466; Rachmaninoff/arr. Respighi, “Cinq Etudes-tableaux”; Respighi, “Pines of Rome.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Dec. 2-3 - Kwamé Ryan conducting; Colin Currie, percussion. Wagner, “Siegfried Idyll”; Christopher Rouse, “Der gerettete Alberich” (”Alberich Saved”); Schumann, Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op.61. 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.

Jan. 12-13 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Thomas Zehetmair, violin. Sibelius, Symphony No. 4 in A Minor, Op.63; Berg, Violin Concerto, “To the Memory of an Angel”; Tchaikovsky, “Romeo and Juliet” Overture-fantasy. 8 p.m.

Jan. 18-20 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Hélène Grimaud, piano. Verdi, Overture to “I vespri siciliani”; Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op.15; Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op.74, “Pathétique.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Jan. 26-27 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Christine Brewer, soprano; Stanford Olsen, tenor; Eric Owens, bass; (another soprano to be announced); May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director. Webern, “Im Sommerwind”; Berg, “Sieben frühe Lieder” (”Seven Early Songs”); Mozart, Mass in C Minor, K.427, “The Great.” 8 p.m.

Feb. 9-10 - Yakov Kreizberg conducting; Julia Fischer, violin. Glinka, Overture to “Russlan and Ludmilla”; Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op.64; Shostakovich, Symphony No. 11 in G Minor, Op.103, “The Year 1905″ 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

Feb. 16-17 - Michael Christie conducting; Leila Josefowicz, violin. John Adams, Violin Concerto; Copland, Symphony No. 3. 8 p.m.

Feb. 22 - Special Concert. Valery Gergiev conducting. Stravinsky, “Petrouchka”; Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op.64. 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 24-25 - Krzysztof Penderecki conducting; Chee-Yun, violin. Bruch, Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op.26; Krzysztof Penderecki, Symphony No. 2. 8 p.m.

March 2-3 - Eric Dudley conducting; Denis Matsuev, piano. Stephen Paulus, “Concertante”; Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op.26; Dvorák, Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op.13. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

March 9-10 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Yefim Bronfman, piano. Prokofiev, Suite from “Lieutenant Kijé,” Op.60; Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op.30; Scriabin, Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Op.29. 8 p.m.

March 15-17 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Vadim Gluzman, violin; Barber, Music for a Scene from Shelley, Op.7; Bernstein, “Serenade”; Prokofiev, Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op.100. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

March 24-25 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Piotr Anderszewski, piano. Smetana, The Moldau; Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 3; Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, Op.14. 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.

March 30-31 - Olari Elts conducting; Owen Lee, double bass. Prokofiev, Russian Overture, Op.72; John Harbison, Double Bass Concerto; Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op.44. 8 p.m.

April 12-14 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Pekka Kuusisto, violin. Erkki-Sven Tüür, “Zeitraum” (U.S. Premiere); Sibelius, Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op.47; Nielsen, Symphony No. 4, Op.29, “The Inextinguishable.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday.

April 27-29 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Alison Balsom, trumpet. Sibelius, “Night Ride and Sunrise,” Op.55; Haydn, Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major; Sibelius, “The Bard,” Op.64; Schumann, Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op.120. 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.

May 3-5 - Paavo Järvi conducting; Olli Mustonen, piano. Charles Coleman, “Deep Woods” (World Premiere); Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op.37; Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op.68, Pastorale.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

David Moore reflects on why he loves the piano so much.

Inspired by a George Winston concert, he began to think of the piano in his family home.

“A little piano music can go a very long way.”