Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK TEN - I love a Piano
Monday May 18
I Love a Piano (Irving Berlin)
Judy Garland and Fred Astaire
Performance
The full name of a piano is pianoforte, piano being Italian for soft/quiet and forte for strong.
The invention of the piano is credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731) of Padua, Italy, who was employed by Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, as the Keeper of the Instruments. Cristofori was an expert harpsichord maker, and was well acquainted with the body of knowledge on stringed keyboard instruments; this knowledge of keyboard mechanisms and actions helped him to develop the first pianos. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano. An inventory made by his employers, the Medici family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700. The three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s. Cristofori named the instrument un cimbalo di cipresso di piano e forte (a keyboard of cypress with soft and loud), abbreviated over time as pianoforte, fortepiano, and later, simply, piano. (Wikipedia)
Tuesday May 19
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 (Emperor) 2nd and 3rd movements
Alfred Brendel
On the 250th anniversary of his birth how could we not feature Beethoven?
This second movement is just sublime on its own, but even better when followed by the third movement to which it links without a pause.
Personal story: Brendel's daughter, Katerina, was in our daughter Rachel's class at school. One day it was announced that Brendel would give a fund raising concert for the school and the evening would include a taste of his wife's famous tiramisu. We were impressed.
Performance (2nd and 3rd movements)
A standard modern piano has 88 keys, 52 white and 36 black, and 2 or 3 pedals.
The left hand (soft) pedal makes the music appear quieter, the right hand sustaining pedal extends the note making it seem louder. If there is a middle pedal (sostenuto) this allows selective sustaining.
Wednesday May 20
Oscar Peterson - Tea for Two
Piano music comes in many forms.
Time for some jazz. Pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdY0K6nOvs8
When a pianist presses one of the keys a hammer strikes the appropriate string or strings. When the key is released, a damper goes onto the string or strings thereby suppressing the sound, unless the right pedal is depressed. The vibrating string produces a sound which is amplified by the sounding board. On a grand piano the sounding board is horizontal but on an upright piano it is vertical.
Thursday May 21
Philip Glass - Wichita Vortex Sutra
Wichita Vortex Sutra (1988) is a piano piece based on anti-war poem by Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), written in 1966.
Glass is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. His work has been described as minimal music, having similar qualities to other "minimalist" composers. Glass describes himself as a composer of "music with repetitive structures". (Wikipedia)
The first time I heard this was in a concert in at the Bognor Regis Music Club in which I was singing. I have played all the best venues. We went for the weekend with friends Susan and David. On the previous evening the four of us played an air hockey table game on the pier. Being somewhat competitive, I managed to sprain a muscle in my leg. Consequently at midnight, David and I were in the A&E Department of the local hospital. I limped to the stage the following day to sing my first number - Handel's Where'er You Walk. Ironic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHrMzedo3I
Electronic keyboards are the most recent development of the piano and a much cheaper option. Often with less than the full 88 keys (for ease of transportation), these require a speaker for the sound to be heard. This speaker might be within the unit or might need a separate device. There are basically three types of keys - weighted, partially weighted, and unweighted. To get close to the feel of playing an acoustic piano, weighted keys are essential, and of course more expensive.
Friday May 22
The Harmonious Blacksmith: Air and Variations (Handel)
Murray Perahia
The Harmonious Blacksmith is the popular name of the final movement, Air and variations, of Handel's Suite No. 5.
This instrumental air was one of the first works for harpsichord published by Handel and is made up of four movements.
The story goes that Handel, when working for James Brydges the future Duke of Chandos at Cannons between 1717 and 1718, once took shelter from the rain in a smithy, and was inspired to write his tune upon hearing the hammer on the anvil; the regularly repeated pedal note (B in the right hand) in the first variation, can give the impression of a blacksmith hammering. A variation on the story is that he heard the blacksmith singing the tune which would later become the Air; this explanation fits in nicely with Handel's general technique of borrowing tunes. Neither story is true. (Wikipedia)
Interesting note: In the late 1970s Philip worked with Murray Perahia's cousin.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNzVz5byPqk
Bryan's piano story
My first piano teacher had a bushy reddish beard, was thinning on top, and wore braces which pulled the tops of his trousers halfway up his stomach. When he laughed, which he often did in a wheezy fashion, his belly would shake. He lived with his mother in a 3 bedroom semi called "Holmdene". She was very friendly, and used to sit in her (rather gloomy) kitchen while he taught.
Every 10 weeks, I would take a cheque to him. He would take it solemnly, and say, "Ah! This week I can have jam on my toast for breakfast." After this had happened a few times, the routine changed. I would hand him the cheque and say, "Here you are, you can have jam this week."
My younger brothers Simon and, eventually, Jonathan also had piano lessons with him. Jonathan's ability to learn the piano evidently presented something of a challenge. Every so often Mr.Muncey would write letters to my parents. Part of one such letter read as follows:
"Bryan is doing very well. Simon bought a piece of music from me for 6d, and has been paying me a halfpenny each week! As for Jonathan, if you should decide that he should no longer continue with piano lessons, I would not object too much."
Weekend May 23/24
The Marx Brothers in A Night At The Opera
Chico Marx playing the piano is his own individual style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWlPF9Yf_8
Harpo also played a bit, but he excelled at the harp, hence his name.
Amidst all the craziness he creates a beautiful and calm moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ2RyRgqsuA
Another short piece of Chico playing the piano in A Night In Casablanca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muYJIlkAH9g
Philip's piano story
I took piano lessons from Douglas Pendry, a family friend, for a few months when I was 7. I hated practising between lessons, so I didn't. Progress was therefore slow and I didn't like the rigour of scales. My last lesson ended when I burst into tears and ran upstairs to my bedroom. How that must have upset my teacher. I was 11 before I started teaching myself thanks to a new approach suggested by my uncle. I always regretted how I treated Douglas, a sweet and kind man.
I Love a Piano (Irving Berlin)
Judy Garland and Fred Astaire
Performance
The full name of a piano is pianoforte, piano being Italian for soft/quiet and forte for strong.
The invention of the piano is credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731) of Padua, Italy, who was employed by Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, as the Keeper of the Instruments. Cristofori was an expert harpsichord maker, and was well acquainted with the body of knowledge on stringed keyboard instruments; this knowledge of keyboard mechanisms and actions helped him to develop the first pianos. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano. An inventory made by his employers, the Medici family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700. The three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s. Cristofori named the instrument un cimbalo di cipresso di piano e forte (a keyboard of cypress with soft and loud), abbreviated over time as pianoforte, fortepiano, and later, simply, piano. (Wikipedia)
Tuesday May 19
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 (Emperor) 2nd and 3rd movements
Alfred Brendel
On the 250th anniversary of his birth how could we not feature Beethoven?
This second movement is just sublime on its own, but even better when followed by the third movement to which it links without a pause.
Personal story: Brendel's daughter, Katerina, was in our daughter Rachel's class at school. One day it was announced that Brendel would give a fund raising concert for the school and the evening would include a taste of his wife's famous tiramisu. We were impressed.
Performance (2nd and 3rd movements)
A standard modern piano has 88 keys, 52 white and 36 black, and 2 or 3 pedals.
The left hand (soft) pedal makes the music appear quieter, the right hand sustaining pedal extends the note making it seem louder. If there is a middle pedal (sostenuto) this allows selective sustaining.
Wednesday May 20
Oscar Peterson - Tea for Two
Piano music comes in many forms.
Time for some jazz. Pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdY0K6nOvs8
When a pianist presses one of the keys a hammer strikes the appropriate string or strings. When the key is released, a damper goes onto the string or strings thereby suppressing the sound, unless the right pedal is depressed. The vibrating string produces a sound which is amplified by the sounding board. On a grand piano the sounding board is horizontal but on an upright piano it is vertical.
Thursday May 21
Philip Glass - Wichita Vortex Sutra
Wichita Vortex Sutra (1988) is a piano piece based on anti-war poem by Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), written in 1966.
Glass is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. His work has been described as minimal music, having similar qualities to other "minimalist" composers. Glass describes himself as a composer of "music with repetitive structures". (Wikipedia)
The first time I heard this was in a concert in at the Bognor Regis Music Club in which I was singing. I have played all the best venues. We went for the weekend with friends Susan and David. On the previous evening the four of us played an air hockey table game on the pier. Being somewhat competitive, I managed to sprain a muscle in my leg. Consequently at midnight, David and I were in the A&E Department of the local hospital. I limped to the stage the following day to sing my first number - Handel's Where'er You Walk. Ironic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHrMzedo3I
Electronic keyboards are the most recent development of the piano and a much cheaper option. Often with less than the full 88 keys (for ease of transportation), these require a speaker for the sound to be heard. This speaker might be within the unit or might need a separate device. There are basically three types of keys - weighted, partially weighted, and unweighted. To get close to the feel of playing an acoustic piano, weighted keys are essential, and of course more expensive.
Friday May 22
The Harmonious Blacksmith: Air and Variations (Handel)
Murray Perahia
The Harmonious Blacksmith is the popular name of the final movement, Air and variations, of Handel's Suite No. 5.
This instrumental air was one of the first works for harpsichord published by Handel and is made up of four movements.
The story goes that Handel, when working for James Brydges the future Duke of Chandos at Cannons between 1717 and 1718, once took shelter from the rain in a smithy, and was inspired to write his tune upon hearing the hammer on the anvil; the regularly repeated pedal note (B in the right hand) in the first variation, can give the impression of a blacksmith hammering. A variation on the story is that he heard the blacksmith singing the tune which would later become the Air; this explanation fits in nicely with Handel's general technique of borrowing tunes. Neither story is true. (Wikipedia)
Interesting note: In the late 1970s Philip worked with Murray Perahia's cousin.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNzVz5byPqk
Bryan's piano story
My first piano teacher had a bushy reddish beard, was thinning on top, and wore braces which pulled the tops of his trousers halfway up his stomach. When he laughed, which he often did in a wheezy fashion, his belly would shake. He lived with his mother in a 3 bedroom semi called "Holmdene". She was very friendly, and used to sit in her (rather gloomy) kitchen while he taught.
Every 10 weeks, I would take a cheque to him. He would take it solemnly, and say, "Ah! This week I can have jam on my toast for breakfast." After this had happened a few times, the routine changed. I would hand him the cheque and say, "Here you are, you can have jam this week."
My younger brothers Simon and, eventually, Jonathan also had piano lessons with him. Jonathan's ability to learn the piano evidently presented something of a challenge. Every so often Mr.Muncey would write letters to my parents. Part of one such letter read as follows:
"Bryan is doing very well. Simon bought a piece of music from me for 6d, and has been paying me a halfpenny each week! As for Jonathan, if you should decide that he should no longer continue with piano lessons, I would not object too much."
Weekend May 23/24
The Marx Brothers in A Night At The Opera
Chico Marx playing the piano is his own individual style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWlPF9Yf_8
Harpo also played a bit, but he excelled at the harp, hence his name.
Amidst all the craziness he creates a beautiful and calm moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ2RyRgqsuA
Another short piece of Chico playing the piano in A Night In Casablanca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muYJIlkAH9g
Philip's piano story
I took piano lessons from Douglas Pendry, a family friend, for a few months when I was 7. I hated practising between lessons, so I didn't. Progress was therefore slow and I didn't like the rigour of scales. My last lesson ended when I burst into tears and ran upstairs to my bedroom. How that must have upset my teacher. I was 11 before I started teaching myself thanks to a new approach suggested by my uncle. I always regretted how I treated Douglas, a sweet and kind man.