Time for new repertoire!

The CD is mostly recorded (only one retake session left, we hope...), the hour-long solo concert is finished, so now what? Oh yes -- I can take on some new repertoire now!

It's fun to play new pieces with no deadline for a change. I'm working on some Chopin that I haven't really explored before: the utterly gorgeous Impromptu in F# major. The notes are not difficult but there are many subtleties that will take me a long time to absorb and bring out fully, I think. I am also happily diving into a piece I have wanted to learn for ages: Tombeau de Couperin by Ravel. It looks back at the French Baroque, sort of, while mainly looking back at the devastation of World War I and the deaths of friends, through the lens of darkly beautiful music.

Also on the list are a Bach French Suite, the last three of the Schumann Fantasiestucke Op. 12, and various etudes.

Playtime!

Sunday: concert in Hartford, fundraiser for Zezzo House

On Sunday Oct 6 I'll be performing an hour of music at Memorial Baptist Church in Hartford. This is a fundraiser for Zezzo House, a nonprofit residence for single parents living with HIV/AIDS.

Concert is at 5pm and the church is at 142 Fairfield Ave. near Trinity College.

I am excited about this gorgeous music, and delighted to support a good cause!

Program:

Haydn: Sonata in D major Hob. XVI:33

Debussy: from Preludes for Piano book 1
"Des pas sur la neige"
"Sons et parfums tournent dans l'air du soir (Charles Baudelaire)"
"Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest"

Harrison: Reel: Homage to Henry Cowell

Higdon: Secret & Glass Gardens

Bellissimo: Problems for Piano no. 4 ("money")

Schumann: Fantasiestucke Op. 12 nos. 1-5
Des Abends
Aufschwung
Warum?
Grillen
In der Nacht

In the studio, day #3

Everything except the Higdon piece has been recorded! I'm really getting excited.
More details over at the kickstarter page:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/189691637/preludes-problems-and-prayers-contemporary-piano-m/posts/556761

The birds really do sing Mozart

I was practicing some Mozart today (K. 330) and a bird actually hung around outside my window and started imitating. I thought such things only happened in books.

(I'm sure it wouldn't have happened with any other composer.)

Mama, when are you gonna be done?

Yesterday I had a rare day off and we went to Outside the Box, a 9-day free arts festival in Boston Common, where my cousin Lila Rose Kaplan had a play "The Magic Fish" in performance. The play was great, including fabulous dance and puppetry, and my five-year-old was absolutely riveted. (There is another performance at the festival on Tuesday in the Spiegeltent.)

One of the various tents scattered around Boston Common turned out to contain a surprisingly well-maintained Betsy Ross spinet with a sign "Play me, I'm yours." I took the suggestion and sat down to play a little Handel. About 40 seconds in, my daughter did what she often does about 1 1/2 hours into a practice session: grabbed my right arm, played several notes of her own, and whined "Maaaamaaaa, when are you gonna be done? Be done Mama, be done." I thought of shaking her off but then realized, you know, it's my day off, and it's supposed to be her day off too. Music is fun but my kid needs my time also. So I got up... at which point it was apparent that a bit of a crowd had gathered around to listen to me play.

Oh well. They'll have to catch me some other time. My daughter and I headed off to the kids' craft table.

In the studio, day #2

Details here.

In the studio, day #1

Some thoughts, and a bunch of pictures, over here at the Kickstarter page.