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Claude Debussy: Rêverie
Fromont published Rêverie years after Debussy had given it to them. By this time, Debussy’s opinion of it had changed: …
Personality
“Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower.” – Charles M. Schwab, The Ten Commandments of Success
First impressions of Schindler’s List
When renowned composer John Williams first watched a rough cut of Schindler’s List at director Steven Spielberg’s home in Los …
Wisdom is perishable
"Wisdom is perishable. Unlike information or knowledge, it cannot be stored in a computer or recorded in a book. It …
Glenn Gould on recording
Pianist Glenn Gould discussed the recording process with Yehudi Menuhin completing the playback of a Bach gigue: Now, Yehudi, you’ve …
Structure and disharmony
“I need to start from the assumption that the world of spirit is ordered, structured by its very nature, that …
A lock of Beethoven’s hair
Once a devoted admirer, wife of a Vienna pianist, longed for a lock of the composer’s outrageously unkempt hair, and …
Individuality
“I may not be better than other people, but at least I’m different.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Franco-Swiss philosopher and writer.
Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy
One of the most magical passages in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy. The featured instrument, …
Difficult music is the easiest to play
Scriabin’s fiery D#-minor Etude, with its relentless triplets and huge leaps, used to just fall under my fingers, while the …
The Stars Looked Tenderly Upon Us (Tchaikovsky)
Title: The Stars Looked Tenderly Upon Us (Нам звезды кроткие сияли), op. 60, no.12 Composer: Pytor Il'yrich Tchaikovsky (arr. Greg …
Go for long walks
Rachmaninoff once urged Horowitz to go for long walks. “If you don’t walk, your fingers will not run.” Abram Chasins, …
Saint-Saëns on the art of music
The artist who does not feel completely satisfied by elegant lines, by harmonious colours, and by a beautiful succession of …
Stokowski as a sound engineer
The conductor Stokowski (who was the conductor of Disney’s Fantasia) was a pioneer of orchestral recording. This was not without …
Valley of shadows
“When walking through the valley of shadows, remember, a shadow is cast by a Light.” – H. K. Barclay Cited …

Arrangements and orchestrations

Composition

Music transcription

Arrangements and orchestrations

Composition

Music transcription

By Greg