In the cadenzas Beethoven wrote for his C-Major Piano Concerto, opus 15, higher high-notes are utilized than those in the concerto itself. The cadenzas were written down around 1809, more than a decade after the concerto. When you add on a new room to your house you may use the same materials as the original construction, but whether using the same materials or not, you're likely to utilize current technology in doing the construction. … [Read more...]
Two Rooms, NYC
To have lived in grander rooms, I sometimes think, would have been -- well, grander. Until I walk into my other room, quickly come to the piano and see the window I looked out of, as I learned Brahms's Concertos. … [Read more...]
Kindest Cuts
In big conservatories, there are competitions to select student soloists for particular piano concertos each concert season. The music is chosen far in advance by the piano faculty. Our normal procedure at New England Conservatory -- and we did the same at Juilliard -- is to hold a first round in which a jury hears each of the competitors play a 15-minute-long selection of designated excerpts from the chosen concerto. A day or two in advance of … [Read more...]