classical piano

[funk freaka]

I never really listened to classical music but i'd like to start building some basic knowledge, same as i started with jazz some 10 years ago

I've been playing this dave brubeck song by ear the other day, and there is a strong feel of classical music. I heard brubeck say that jazz should never depart from classical music and it is pretty obvious when you listen to his tunes.

I would like some recommendations of solo piano to listen to, chopin, debussy...

Here is the song i was talking bout "soliloquy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD57_nL3Ofg

[Alypius]

Originally Posted by funk freaka

I never really listened to classical music but i'd like to start building some basic knowledge, same as i started with jazz some 10 years ago

I've been playing this dave brubeck song by ear the other day, and there is a strong feel of classical music. I heard brubeck say that jazz should never depart from classical music and it is pretty obvious when you listen to his tunes.

I would like some recommendations of solo piano to listen to, chopin, debussy...

Here is the song i was talking bout "soliloquy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD57_nL3Ofg

Funka, There's a number of us who discuss things that you might find helpful over on "The Classical Thread" under the "Music Beyond Jazz" heading: Classical Thread.

For recommendations on Debussy solo piano, see my post recommending Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's award winning series:
http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showp...&postcount=106

If Debussy appeals to you, please sure and explore Ravel as well. Recommended:
Steven Osborne, Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Music (2 CDs) (Hyperion, 2011)



As for Chopin, others will have to jump in on that one. I don't know the discography on him very well.

If you scan through the posts on the "Classical Thread," you'll see lots of recommendations for classic piano solo works by Beethoven, Haydn, Bach, and Shostakovich, piano concertos by Beethoven, Bartok, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninov, as well as contemporary composers such as Jennifer Higdon. There are also recommendations for ways to do research on classical music; for example:
http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showp...&postcount=194

Dave Brubeck was only one of many jazz composers shaped by classical. Bill Evans was even more so. Of course, it works the other way as well: both Stravinsky and Ravel were deeply impressed by jazz and incorporated elements into their music; among contemporary composers, Steve Reich got his start as a jazz drummer; Michael Daugherty apprenticed under Gil Evans. All the best.

[jazzbluescat]

Vladimir Horowitz

[Telemachus]

All of Beethoven's solo piano music has been recorded by Alfred Brendel, several times over, in fact. I got into classical music at age 18 through buying one very inexpensive record (can't remember what label) of Beethoven's "Moonlight," "Pathetique," and Ab Major played by Brendel. I've since gotten to know all the other Beethoven piano pieces, played by many different pianists (including myself, heh heh), and nobody ever played 'em better than Brendel.

There are many pianists who have played Chopin just beautifully--Rubinstein, Ax, Moravec, Arrau are the ones I'm familiar with. You can't go wrong with any of those guys.

I have cassettes of Debussy's complete piano music played by a Scottish guy with glasses and frizzy hair whose name escapes me at the moment. If there's a better performance, I'd have to hear it to believe it. Just Google up, Scottish guy >frizzy hair >Debussy.

[HutchFan]

Some of my favorite solo classical piano recordings:

- Ives, Piano Sonata No. 2 "Concord" - Marc-Andre Hamelin (New World)
- Chopin, Nocturnes - Ivan Moravec (Nonesuch) or Artur Rubinstein (RCA)
- Brahms, complete solo piano music - Julius Katchen (Decca)
- Schumann, Carnaval; Kinderszenen - Claudio Arrau (Philips)
- Debussy, Images - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (DG)
- Scriabin, various - Vladimir Horowitz (CBS/Sony)

[creative]

John Lewis has a few discs of Bach... on the other hand you might listen to Modern Jazz Quartet. They play a lot of third stream music...You might also try Stan Getz "Focus"

Robert

[Alypius]

Funka, I went and listened to the Brubeck piece that inspired you. It's from his 1960 recording Brubeck a la mode, and it's clearly Debussy-inspired. Hutch suggested one of the classic performances of Debussy's Preludes, namely, that by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (that dates from the 70s, if I remember right). I had suggested a new performance, namely, by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (on Chandos). It occurred to me that since you are a pianist, you might want to focus on a single work, such as Debussy's Preludes, and listen to 3 or 4 top pianists each take a shot at one of the great works in classical piano repetoire. So beside the Michelangeli and the Bavouzet, check two other performances that have earned acclaim for their interpretation: Paul Jacobs and Krystian Zimerman. Listen to them side by side, prelude by prelude.




It's really where you can hear the differences of interpretation, of touch. If that sounds too pricey, consider downloading all four's interpretations of a couple of the preludes, such as Book 1, #8 ("La fille aux cheveux de lin" / "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair") and Book 1, #10 ("La cathedrale engloutie" / "The Sunken Cathedral"). (I'm pretty sure all of these allow downloads of individual tracks). Hope all that helps.

[funk freaka]

thanks a lot guys ! precious recommendations there

[quiescen]

I second the Debussy recommendations. Good stuff there.

[Vaughan]

This is an old thread, but just happens to be the perfect place for me to mention a solo piano set that I've been playing quite often:



Four discs of wonderment.