What are you listening to now?

[Enrique]

It's fascinating to think that, for most of the 19th century, before the invention of the gramophone or radio, this was the way the majority of music lovers heard the orchestral works of Beethoven (and indeed many other composers.)

I don't refer to Liszt specifically but to the many arrangements by lesser composers which, nevertheless, helped listeners to become familiar with great orchestral works which they might never have had the opportunity to hear in a concert hall.

I think Debussy did attend - he certainly wasn't dead until 5 years after in 1918. He wrote in anticipation of the premier 'I await the performance like a gluttonous child to whom sweets have been promised.’

You must mean "until 5 years after 1918". Thanks for the piece of information.

[Peter]

You must mean "until 5 years after 1918". Thanks for the piece of information.

No, sorry I wasn't clearer - Debussy died in 1918. I meant until 5 years after the 1913 performance of the Rite of Spring.

[Megan]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuUTzZeOWgM[/YOUTUBE]



Dame Myra Hess (1890-1965) plays her arrangement of J.S. Bach's Adagio from Adagio, Toccata & Fugue in C major, BWV 564.
Filmed in 1954.

[Peter]

Dame Myra Hess (1890-1965) plays her arrangement of J.S. Bach's Adagio from Adagio, Toccata & Fugue in C major, BWV 564.
Filmed in 1954.

Beautiful - this great lady did a lot to boost moral during the war. She organised what would turn out to be almost 2,000 lunchtime concerts spanning a period of six years, starting during The Blitz. The concerts were held at the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square. Hess began her lunchtime concerts a few weeks after the start of the war. They were presented on Monday to Friday, for six-and-a-half years without fail. If London was being bombed, the concert was moved to a smaller, safer room. Every artist was paid five guineas, no matter who they were.

In all, Hess presented 1,968 concerts seen by 824,152 people; she personally played in 150 of them.

[Megan]

Beautiful - this great lady did a lot to boost moral during the war. She organised what would turn out to be almost 2,000 lunchtime concerts spanning a period of six years, starting during The Blitz. The concerts were held at the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square. Hess began her lunchtime concerts a few weeks after the start of the war. They were presented on Monday to Friday, for six-and-a-half years without fail. If London was being bombed, the concert was moved to a smaller, safer room. Every artist was paid five guineas, no matter who they were.

In all, Hess presented 1,968 concerts seen by 824,152 people; she personally played in 150 of them.

Apparently, Myra’s hands were so small that her teacher at the Royal Academy of Music created a device to develop her hand span.

[Peter]

Apparently, Myra’s hands were so small that her teacher at the Royal Academy of Music created a device to develop her hand span.

I don't recall reading that, where did you find that? Her teacher was the highly respected Tobias Matthay who wrote several influential books on piano technique.

[Peter]

Listening to Tchaikovsky's delightful orchestral suites. Love the scherzo burlesque from no.2 with its use of accordions.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1gaCFW57vM[/YOUTUBE]

[Megan]

I don't recall reading that, where did you find that? Her teacher was the highly respected Tobias Matthay who wrote several influential books on piano technique.

I found the information here Peter,
3rd paragraph, starting Myra's Character.
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hess-dame-myra

And.....

finding the link.
A Historical Dictionary of British Women , by Cathy Hartley. First Published, 1983

[Peter]

I found the information here Peter,
3rd paragraph, starting Myra's Character.
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hess-dame-myra

And.....

finding the link.
A Historical Dictionary of British Women , by Cathy Hartley. First Published, 1983

Interesting and I'm surprised given the well documented experience of Schumann several decades earlier. Another great pianist with tiny hands was Alicia de Larrocha.

[Zevy]

Interesting and I'm surprised given the well documented experience of Schumann several decades earlier. Another great pianist with tiny hands was Alicia de Larrocha.

It is said that Mozart had small hands.

[Peter]

It is said that Mozart had small hands.

Most probably but he didn't have to contend with the huge technical demands of Albeniz or Schumann like Alicia de Laroccha!

[Megan]

Thanks to Peter for the mention. This is superb, I very much enjoyed listening to this piece, played by Alicia de Larrocha. I'm going to explore her more.
Apparently she could span a 10th despite having small hands. My hands are also the small side but I do try to do hand exercise and keep them supple. I have no trouble with octaves but. I couldn't span a 10th.



[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V87biDpMPt4[/YOUTUBE]

[Enrique]

Daniel Boremboin has small hands too.

[Sorrano]

I ran across this and thought it exquisite. I would have never guessed that this was Tchaikovsky.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPlK5HwFxcw[/YOUTUBE]



(Edited) Not sure why YouTube is not showing up. It's been a long time since I attempted posting one, but the URL should work. If this starts with an add I apologize.

Edited by Peter - I removed the s from https.

[Michael]

Beethoven's Leonore No. 4 Overture (arranged by Malcolm Arnold).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWYm9syfFP0