Leos Janácek - Ein verwehtes Blatt (A Blown away Leaf)
Enjoy the romantic beauty of Leos Janacek’s “A blown away Leaf” from his collection called “On an overgrown Path”
SWIMMING WITH MUSIC PART 2
I love staying fit and I love to swim listening to my favorite tunes. Following my first blog about swimming with music I got an overwhelming 'wave' of reactions. So many of you offered creative comments and great new ideas for swimming music - thank you!
Claude Debussy - FireWorks
The last of two books, Feux d’artifice finishes the cycle of preludes by Claude Debussy with a festive display of fireworks, both as a musical image and as a pianistic challenge.
Italian Opera at the Piano – Sonetto del Petrarca
Feeling in the mood for a vacation? Listen to Sonetto 104 and take a trip to Italy!
Sonetto del Petrarca is part of the collection ‘Years of Pilgrimage’, a set of travel impression put to music by Franz Liszt in the most magnificent operatic way. The poem Sonetto 104 by the Renaissance humanist Petrarch focuses on a comparison between love and war as seen through the eyes of a warrior.
10 Fitness Benefits for Pianists
Time to celebate!
It has been one year since I joined my gym, and I am loving it! I am going regularly three or four times a week, and it has been fun to find out, how getting fit helps my piano playing.
Painting a Picture - The Wind on the Plain
Intensity and focus are just some of the words that come to mind, when I play ‘Le Vent dans La Plaine’. I love how the piece paints a picture of gusting winds, slamming windows shutters and blowing leaves.
CHINA 2018 - 4 things I loved
I just returned from my China Tour 2018. What a wonderful success! I loved playing there, getting involved with teaching and judging, and I was able to use my still somewhat rudimentary Mandarin all the time.
HAPPY VALENTINES - Spring is in the Air!
Happy Valentines Day! What a beautiful celebration of love and romance. For me this is definitely a time to start thinking about Spring.
WE ARE MORE ALIKE THAN UNALIKE - Domenico Scarlatti
Playing Domenico Scarlatti’s keyboard music is a great pleasure and also a big challenge. Besides the complications of playing baroque ornamentations, of mastering the rather difficult technical requirements, and of simply finding a compelling interpretation of a piece written so long ago, there’s also the huge question of truthfulness to a historic interpretation.
RECORDING FOR SPIRIO - sheer magic
What a great experience to record for Spirio, Steinway’s high resolution player piano! Lots of people have asked how the process works, and it really is a bit of piano magic.
CHINA tour 2018
I am thrilled to announce my return to China next month! Some of you might recall my first China concert tour back in 2015. I absolutely loved my time there since it was outside of my comfort zone and way of life. Now in February 2018, it will be fantastic exploring new and familiar parts of this country.
SWIMMING WITH MUSIC - An unusual Approach to Fitness for Musicians
Half a year ago I joined a gym. My main goal was to increase strength and energy levels. I had no idea how inspiring this decision would be!