The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square in London is arranging a Dame Myra Hess Day on the 25th of November (2008). This annual event honours Dame Myra Hess who initiated, directed and performed a series of legendary concerts at the National Gallery during the Second World War. This year’s concerts will take place in the Barry Rooms (Room 36), where […]

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920 -1995) was an Italian classical pianist. He is considered among the most commanding and individualistic piano virtuosi of the 20th century, alongside names such as Vladimir Horowitz and Sviatoslav Richter. Along with Ferruccio Busoni, he is often described as the most important Italian pianist ever. He obtained his soloist’s diploma at the age of fourteen, and […]

One plus one equals three? Synergy. It’s a word most of us are familiar with, but sometimes difficult to grasp. Synergies arise when the combination of energies, resources, talents and efforts add up to more than the sum of their parts. The idea of combining challenging principles in the Études of Chopin (Opp. 10 and 25) was tested at an […]

In Katie Hafner´s recent book; A Romance on Three Legs – Glenn Goulds Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano (2008), the author has avoided well known and often exaggerated stories concerning Gould´s eccentricity. Instead, she focuses on Gould´s musical perfectionism, which was, of course, also quite eccentric. The main characters in the book are Gould, the Steinway grand of his […]

Leonard Marx, known as Chico and Arthur Marx (previously Adolph Marx), popularly known as Harpo Marx were two of the Marx Brothers. Groucho Marx one time said that Chico never practiced the pieces he played. Before performances he would soak his fingers in hot water before going on instead. He was known for “shooting” the keys of the piano. As […]

Critics’ choice was Arcadi Volodos´ Liszt recital on Sony, considered a stunning piano sensation in 2007. The recording session was held at the Berlin Teldex studio, which isn’t a particularly intimate venue, and thus the listener has the impression of a champion pianist playing for his own pleasure in a large recital room. This video pick, however, offers a different […]

The great Philips compilation—Great Pianists of the 20th Century—includes two CD:s with György Cziffra (1921-1994). One contains works by Chopin, the other by Liszt. Many of Cziffra’s recordings are controversial, and they are claimed by some to be showy and unmusical. Others regard these reactions as professional jealousy. In any case there is little doubt that Cziffra had a remarkable […]

If you need reference recordings of the Beethoven piano concerti, do not neglect the Pollini/Böhm collaboration from the 1980’s. Their ”Emperor” recording on Deutsche Grammophone from 1984 was internationally recognized and Pollini was described as the definition of the modern pianist. With Pollini before our eyes, we therefore present the second movement from Beethoven´s ”Emperor” concerto no. 5 under Claudio […]

Born and raised in Foggia, Italy, Antonio Pompa-Baldi first came to the U.S. in 1999 to participate in the Cleveland International Piano Competition. He won First Prize and settled down there with his family. A top prize winner at the 1998 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris, Antonio Pompa-Baldi also won both a silver medal and the Award for the […]