Gluck/Sgambati: Dance of the Blessed Spirits

In a brief visit to Cambridge, UK, I managed to go to a concert at the University. One of the highlights of the concert was Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto, beautifully performed by Tom Poster who was asked to play an encore at the end of the night. He chose to play Giovanni Sgambati's piano transcription of Gluck's Dance of the Blessed Spirits from his ballet Orfeo ed Euridice.

Poster claimed that it was one of Rachmaninoff's favorite pieces. I actually did not know the piece, but I remember I loved his interpretation that night and it's been in the back of my mind since. Today I decided to do a search and was happy to find an interpretation by Rachmaninoff himself on YouTube.

Later I found another gem: Yevgeny Kissin's Fantasy album. I only include here the aforementioned melody, but I highly recommend the entire album.



Composer: Gluck. Piano transcription by Giovanni Sgambati
Performer: Yevgeny Kissin
Album: Fantasy

Beethoven - Appasionata Sonata

Sorry for the delay between posts, I've been awfully busy.

More Beethoven! I like this historic performance of the last movement of the Appasionata:

Beethoven : Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor "Appassionata" - III. Allegro, Ma Non Troppo - Presto
Interpreter: Ernst Levy
Album: Ernst Levy, Vol. 3 - Beethoven, Schumann, And Brahms

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 25 - Adagio

Beethoven : Piano Sonata No.25 in G, Op.79 - Adagio

Interpreter: Emil Gilels
Album: Emil Gilels: Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 - Adagio

This post is for a very special monkey :)

Brahms : Piano Concerto No. 1 - Second Movement - Adagio

Interpreter: Emil Gilels (piano), Eugen Jochum (conductor)
Album: Concertos for Piano No. 1 & 2, Fantasia Op. 116

Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata - Adagio Cantabile

I post this song for somebody very special to me :)

Beethoven : Piano Sonata No.8 in c, Op.13 Pathetique sonata - 2 Adagio Cantabile

Interpreter: Emil Gilels
Album: Emil Gilels: Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Busoni/Bach: Chaconne

Busoni's piano transcription on Bach's Chaconne, from Partita II In D Minor For Vn, BWV1004.

Brahm's also wrote a left-hand piano transcription of this piece. In a letter to Clara Schumann, he wrote:

On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind.

Interpreter: John Ogdon
Album: Busoni: Fantasia Contrappuntistica; Fantasia after Bach; Toccata

Beethoven - Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia "Moonlight"

I like very much Kissin's interpretation. I hope you enjoy it!

Ludwig van Beethoven : Sonata #14 'Quasi una Fantasia' Op. 27 No. 2: Andante sostenuto
Interpreter: Evgeny Kissin
Album: Evgeny Kissin: Beethoven, Franck, Brahms


I recommend reading this interesting study of the famous "Moonlight" sonata and its different interpretations.

Beethoven: Triple Concerto. Largo

Because we can't have enough Beethoven :)

Ludwig van Beethoven : Beethoven Triple Concerto Op. 56 in C: 2. Largo

Interpreters: Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Berliner Philarmoniker, Barenboim.
Album: Beethoven - Triple Concerto ~ Choral Fantasy

Beethoven - God save the King - Variations

Let us continue the streak of Beethoven pieces :)

Ludwig van Beethoven : God Save the King

Interpreter: Unknown
Album: Complete Beethoven Edition Vol. 6 - Piano Works

Beethoven - Rage Over a Lost Penny

Although this work is not one of Beethoven's great masterpieces, it has personal value since it reminds me of some happy moments of my childhood. I hope you enjoy it!


Ludwig van Beethoven : Rondo: Rage Over a Lost Penny
(wikipedia)
Interpreter: Gianluca Cascioli
Album: Complete Beethoven Edition Vol. 6 - Piano Works

Chopin: Prelude No. 15

Frédéric Chopin : Prelude no. 15 in D flat major Op.28

Interpreter: Maria João Pires
Album: Chopin - Piano Concerto no. 2 and 24 Preludes op. 28

Beethoven: "6th" piano concerto. Larghetto.

Beethoven : Violin Concerto: II. Larghetto (Beethoven's piano transcription)

Interpreter: Daniel Barenboim
Album: Beethoven: Piano Concerto; Violin Romances

Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu

Frederic Chopin : Fantaisie-Impromptu Op. 66

Interpreter: Vladimir Ashkenazy
Album: Chopin: Ashkenazy's Favorite Piano Works.

Beethoven: The Tempest - Allegro

Beethoven : Piano Sonata No.17 in d, Op.31 No.2 "The Tempest" - 3 Allegro

Interpreter: Emil Gilels
Album: Emil Gilels: Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Schubert: Moment Musical - Andante

Schubert : Moment s Musicaux: II. Andante.

Interpreter: Andrew Rangel
Album:
Schubert: Sonata in B-Flat D. 960/Moments Musicaux D.780

Poulenc: Cantabile

Poulenc : Cantabile from sonata for flute and piano

Interpreter: Jean Pierre Rampal
Album: Jean Pierre Rampal's Greatest Hits Vol. 2

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 25 - II. Andante

Beethoven : Piano Sonata No. 25 - II. Andante

Interpreter: Emil Gilels
Album: Emil Gilels: Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Bach: Largo from Concerto BWV1056

J.S. Bach : Concerto For Harpsichord & Strings In F Minor, BWV 1056 - 2. Largo

Interpreter: Angela Hewitt: Australian Chamber Orchestra
Album: Bach: The Keyboard Concertos, Vol. 2

Ravel: Pavane for a dead princess

Maurice Ravel : Pavane pour une infante défunte

Interpreter: Philippe Entrement / Laura Mikkola
Album: Ravel: Complete Piano Works

Liszt: La Campanella

Franz Liszt : La Campanella, No.3 of S.140

Interpreter: Yundi Li
Album: Liszt: Yundi Li