Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 78 - I love a piano 3
We return once more to the piano with an eclectic selection of music played by some great pianists.
Yesterday, September 4, I sang at a memorial service for my accompanist and friend of 52 years, Chris Coote, who some of you met at Tonic. I was accompanied by Michael Dussek who believes he is related to the celebrated pianist/composer Jan Dussek (1760-1812). Michael told me that Jan was the first ever pianist to play the piano side on to an audience. Apparently he was very good looking from the side, and known as le beau visage. This prompted him to move the piano to the position we know today. Something I had never considered before.
Yesterday, September 4, I sang at a memorial service for my accompanist and friend of 52 years, Chris Coote, who some of you met at Tonic. I was accompanied by Michael Dussek who believes he is related to the celebrated pianist/composer Jan Dussek (1760-1812). Michael told me that Jan was the first ever pianist to play the piano side on to an audience. Apparently he was very good looking from the side, and known as le beau visage. This prompted him to move the piano to the position we know today. Something I had never considered before.
Monday September 6
Daniil Trifonov
Daniil Olegovich Trifonov (born 1991) is a Russian pianist and composer. Described in the press as 'arguably today's leading classical virtuoso' and 'without question the most astounding pianist of our age'.
Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C♯ minor is a solo piano composition. It was composed in 1834 and published posthumously in 1855 despite Chopin's instruction that none of his unpublished manuscripts be published. The Fantaisie-Impromptu is one of Chopin's most frequently performed and popular compositions.
Recording (7 mins)
Tuesday September 7
Winifred Atwell
Thanks to Nona of Tonic 3 for suggesting this artist.
Una Winifred Atwell (1910 – 1983) was a Trinidadian pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain and Australia from the 1950s with a series of boogie-woogie and ragtime hits, selling over 20 million records.
Cross Hands Boogie
Five Finger Boogie
Extra
Victor Borge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Borge
Børge Rosenbaum (1909 – 2000), (known professionally as Victor Borge) was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television.
There are many examples of his work on the Internet. Here is one of my favourites.
Recording (10 mins)
Wednesday September 8
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (1934 – 2013) was an American pianist who, at the age of 23, achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 (during the Cold War). Here he plays two popular pieces.
Widmung (Schumann)
Consolation No.3 (Liszt)
Thursday September 9
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (1935 – 2002) was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician. Today we focus on his skills at the piano.
Recording 1
Recording 2
I know this is nothing to do with pianos, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass to feature one of his best sketches with Peter Cook.
Recording 3
Friday September 10
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (1903 – 1989) was a Russian-born American classical pianist and composer. He is considered be one of the greatest pianists of all time.
Schubert Moment Musical No 3 in F minor (Schubert)
Träumerei (Schumann)
Weekend September 11/12
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim (born 1942) is a pianist and conductor who is a citizen of Argentina, Israel, Palestine, and Spain.
The Piano Concerto in A minor by the German Romantic composer Robert Schumann was completed in 1845 and is the composer's only piano concerto. The complete work was premiered in Dresden on 4 December 1845. It is one of the most widely performed and recorded piano concertos from the Romantic period. Here are the second and third movements.
Recording
Daniil Trifonov
Daniil Olegovich Trifonov (born 1991) is a Russian pianist and composer. Described in the press as 'arguably today's leading classical virtuoso' and 'without question the most astounding pianist of our age'.
Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C♯ minor is a solo piano composition. It was composed in 1834 and published posthumously in 1855 despite Chopin's instruction that none of his unpublished manuscripts be published. The Fantaisie-Impromptu is one of Chopin's most frequently performed and popular compositions.
Recording (7 mins)
Tuesday September 7
Winifred Atwell
Thanks to Nona of Tonic 3 for suggesting this artist.
Una Winifred Atwell (1910 – 1983) was a Trinidadian pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain and Australia from the 1950s with a series of boogie-woogie and ragtime hits, selling over 20 million records.
Cross Hands Boogie
Five Finger Boogie
Extra
Victor Borge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Borge
Børge Rosenbaum (1909 – 2000), (known professionally as Victor Borge) was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television.
There are many examples of his work on the Internet. Here is one of my favourites.
Recording (10 mins)
Wednesday September 8
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (1934 – 2013) was an American pianist who, at the age of 23, achieved worldwide recognition when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 (during the Cold War). Here he plays two popular pieces.
Widmung (Schumann)
Consolation No.3 (Liszt)
Thursday September 9
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (1935 – 2002) was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician. Today we focus on his skills at the piano.
Recording 1
Recording 2
I know this is nothing to do with pianos, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass to feature one of his best sketches with Peter Cook.
Recording 3
Friday September 10
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (1903 – 1989) was a Russian-born American classical pianist and composer. He is considered be one of the greatest pianists of all time.
Schubert Moment Musical No 3 in F minor (Schubert)
Träumerei (Schumann)
Weekend September 11/12
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim (born 1942) is a pianist and conductor who is a citizen of Argentina, Israel, Palestine, and Spain.
The Piano Concerto in A minor by the German Romantic composer Robert Schumann was completed in 1845 and is the composer's only piano concerto. The complete work was premiered in Dresden on 4 December 1845. It is one of the most widely performed and recorded piano concertos from the Romantic period. Here are the second and third movements.
Recording