Does Rachmaninoff Touch Your Heart?
Today, with smartwatches and everyday electronics, it is increasingly common to measure training results, heart rate, calorie consumption, and overall health. But monitoring heart rate of pianists and audience can reveal interesting insights on several other aspects within the musical field. We have previously written about Dr. Riley, who uses body scanning and heart rate to improve musicians’ playing, performance […]
Rhapsody in Blue – A Piece of American History at 100!
The centennial celebration of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue has taken place with a bang and noise around the world. The renowned work of American classical music has become synonymous with the jazz age in America over the past century. Piano Street provides a quick overview of the acclaimed composition, including recommended performances and additional resources for reading and listening […]
Driving an Old Car – The Art of Decoding Historical Instruments
How can we approach and learn about period instruments? We think the best way would be to follow the path of a pianist who actually did and additionally, very successfully. We talked with the second prize winner and winner of the prize for best Polish participant of the 2nd International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments, pianist Piotr Pawlak. Piano Street […]
Body and Intention – Tracking Down Musicians’ Health
It is easy to take piano playing and musicianship for granted but most people have experienced physical tension and strain while practicing. The American pianist, pedagogue, and researcher Dr. Kathleen Riley has spent many years developing a method called Optimal Performance, scanning pianists’ bodies using electrodes. In a Masterclass with students and pianist Garrick Ohlsson as test subjects at San […]
Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger – Following in the Footsteps of Chopin’s Legacy
Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, a universally recognized profile for his Chopin research and lifelong dedication to teaching, graciously accepts to answer the questions of this interview for Cremona Musica, where he received the Cremona Music Award for Communication 2023. His professional career is filled with prestigious positions: he is an emeritus professor of Musicology at the University of Geneva, has taught at […]
Book: Reading Franz Liszt
Pianist Paul Roberts’ latest book “Reading Franz Liszt” invites readers into Liszt’s world through an engaging examination of his most cherished compositions and the underlying literary works that influenced them. Exploring the depths of Franz Liszt’s legacy, Roberts presents a fresh perspective on the legendary composer, emphasizing his poetic sensitivity alongside his technical prowess. Paul Roberts is widely recognized for […]
Bruno Monsaingeon – Fascination and Confidence
After his films about greats like Glenn Gould, Yehudi Menuhin, Sviatoslav Richter and many others, films in which he exposes the soul of those artists with great empathy, Bruno Monsaingeon himself is quasi a legend. In recent months, he has been putting the finishing touches to a film about Klaus Mäkelä, the new chief conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. […]
Embracing the Past Now – The Messenger Paul McNulty in Warsaw
The Chopin Institute engaged the highest possible expertise for the instrumental part of the 2nd International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments which included inviting historical instrument builder Paul McNulty. We asked Paul a few questions about the Pleyel renovation as well as his role as a technician and instrument provider during the competition. Renowned McNulty has a close relationship to […]
The Real Chopin Shines in Warsaw
Following the success of the first International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments launched in Warsaw in 2018, the Chopin Institute invited the world to its second edition on 5 – 15 October 2023. Piano Street’s Patrick Jovell was present at the finals in Warsaw and had a chance to ask Chopin Institute’s Aleksander Laskowski a couple of questions in the […]
Visiting Chopin in Valldemossa
Summer means vacation time and for many also traveling places. There are countless opportunities to enjoy wonderful music during summer festivals or embark on thrilling visits to historical venues that our esteemed composers and musicians once frequented. While on vacation in Mallorca, Piano Street’s Patrick Jovell took a quick visit to Frédéric Chopin’s Valldemossa. The Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa was […]
Finnish Rondo Classic Joins the International Media Exchange
With an aim to present piano related material from non-English written media, Piano Street launched its International Media Exchange in 2018. We are now happy to welcome Finland’s most influential music magazine, Rondo Classic to be a part of the network. In a recent issue of Rondo (no 2, 2023), journalist Matti Tuomisto has published an article about Cremona Musica […]
Grieg: The Maverick – Peter Donohoe in Conversation
Distinguished British pianist Peter Donohoe has embarked on another comprehensive recording project on Chandos label spotlighting Edvard Grieg’s complete Lyric Pieces, and the first volume is out since June 10 last year. Piano Street had a chance to talk to Donohoe about Grieg and his project. Grieg’s contribution to the piano repertoire is enjoyed by so many but yet seldom […]