Over the past two years, Andras Schiff played the entire Beethoven sonata cycle in a series of concerts. As I recall, he played them only in Chicago, Ann Arbor, and New York (Carnegie Hall, natch). I attended all of the Ann Arbor performances. They were delightful: Schiff brought a different, very thoughtful and warm sensibility [...]
I like reading books about pianos and pianists. I sometimes write about them here. Turns out Joe Queenan likes doing both (the reading and the writing about it) as well (though he doesn’t write here). He seems to feel more strongly about it than I do.
Tagged booksThe Economist recently published an article summarizing scientific research into why humans so universally engage in composing and performing music. Is it natural selection, or group selection? An accident that has been elaborated as an invention?
Tagged psychologyJeremy Denk is a terrific pianist, known to many (including me) through his tours with Joshua Bell.
Turns out he is also a terrific writer. His blog is textured, dense, adventuresome (like the music of Brahms he rhapsodizes). And he is a humorist: his “interview with Sarah Palin” about the Hammerklavier is to die for.