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Topic: the greatest piano work of all time?  (Read 9999 times)

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #100 on: June 22, 2011, 06:07:58 PM
Congratulations, have a jam tart.
No need for congratulations, I've just emerged from a traffic jam and I don't need a tart of any kind, but thanks for the offer.

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline thalbergmad

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #101 on: June 22, 2011, 07:02:01 PM
Well, in that case, you should read your own posts more carefully, too! You were the one who mentioned "this horrible news"!

I am lost as to what you are wittering on about.

Thal
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline djealnla

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #102 on: June 22, 2011, 07:28:14 PM
That said, the particular etude you mention is not one that I find exceptional: you mention "its gradual buildup(s), its sensuous harmonies, as well as the multiple emotional and contrapuntal layers found within" but all of these merits are plentifully in evidence in other works by Sorabji. I suppose that there are few works of his that rise from such comparative calm to such a climax in so short a span.

Well, Fredrik Ullén seems to agree with me, so I'm in good company. 8)

You've made me listen to it with a new attention, which is always good, but if I were singling out one of the studies (that are currently available) I might mention No. 26 or No. 36.

I quite like 36, but I have a hard time enjoying 26, at least the last 2 or 3 minutes, which seem to be way too repetitive (for me, at least). I have never heard so many fourths and fifths. :-\

Offline djealnla

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #103 on: June 22, 2011, 07:30:21 PM
Nope - wrong continent in both cases. Sorry!

Finnissy?

Offline djealnla

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #104 on: June 22, 2011, 07:33:47 PM
Since we are talking about Sorabji's "best" etude, which were the ones he recorded in the 60's? I know only about No. 26.

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #105 on: June 22, 2011, 10:02:23 PM
I am lost as to what you are wittering on about.
Evidently so - so read your own post above and decide for yourself what I was writing - not "wittering" - about!

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #106 on: June 22, 2011, 10:03:14 PM
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline thalbergmad

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #107 on: June 22, 2011, 10:20:12 PM
Evidently so - so read your own post above and decide for yourself what I was writing - not "wittering" - about!

Do I have to??
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline djealnla

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #108 on: June 23, 2011, 06:13:42 AM
Yes!

Best,

Alistair

Well, that is very nice, but what about my other question? :(

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #109 on: June 23, 2011, 07:13:38 AM
Do I have to??
No; you made the remark concerned in the first place, however, so it's up to you.

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #110 on: June 23, 2011, 07:15:06 AM
Well, that is very nice, but what about my other question? :(
If you mean which of his studies Sorabji recorded, I'll have to go look that one up, but there were about 11 or 12 of them altogether, including no. 26. I'll get back to you about that, although I'm going to be away from the office until the weekend.

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline thalbergmad

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #111 on: June 23, 2011, 07:23:57 AM
but there wee about 11 or 12 of them altogether

About the best thing you can do to them.

Thal
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #112 on: June 23, 2011, 07:26:58 AM
About the best thing you can do to them.
Again, have you heard them? If not, please do us all a favour and refrain from comment until you have.

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #113 on: June 23, 2011, 07:28:36 AM
Well, that is very nice, but what about my other question? :(
13, 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 40, 44, 66, 69, 71 and 81 -all of which our Thal has heard many times, played by thousands of pianists, of course.

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline djealnla

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #114 on: June 23, 2011, 07:32:19 AM
13, 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 40, 44, 66, 69, 71 and 81 -all of which our Thal has heard many times, played by thousands of pianists, of course.

Best,

Alistair

Thank you! :-*

Edit: I'm afraid I disagree with him. I don't find either 13 or 18 all that great.

Offline thalbergmad

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #115 on: June 23, 2011, 07:36:29 AM
Again, have you heard them?

As many of them as I could stand, so not all.

What I heard was pretty much meaningless plinky.

Thal
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline thalbergmad

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #116 on: June 23, 2011, 07:38:38 AM
I would like to revise my opinion:

"Legendary meaningless plinky"

Thal
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #117 on: June 23, 2011, 09:15:45 AM
As many of them as I could stand, so not all.

What I heard was pretty much meaningless plinky.
To you, perhaps, but clearly not to the pianist, the record company (BIS) or most if not all of those who've bought Ullén's CDs of the first 60-odd of them - and one may presume that you've not heard any of those not yet recorded by Ullén, as you won't have attended any public performances of those.

You still haven't provided a credible (or indeed any) definition of "plinky".

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #118 on: June 23, 2011, 09:16:46 AM
I would like to revise my opinion:

"Legendary meaningless plinky"
That doesn't help in defining "plinky".

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline thalbergmad

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #119 on: June 23, 2011, 12:43:28 PM
If I have yet to define plinky, I don't know why you get so animated when I use it.

For all you know, it could mean "unique".

Thal
Curator/Director
Concerto Preservation Society

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #120 on: June 24, 2011, 11:00:02 PM
If I have yet to define plinky
There's no "if" about it...

I don't know why you get so animated when I use it.

For all you know, it could mean "unique".
I don't get "animated"; I merely draw attention to the lack of definition of that term on your part and, "for all (I) know", it could mean nothing at all, or even less...

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline djealnla

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #121 on: June 26, 2011, 07:58:44 PM
It's never occurred to me to have a favourite Sorabji etude, or a favourite Sorabji work, and I'm going to sit on the fence as regards favourite/greatest piano pieces.

That said, the particular etude you mention is not one that I find exceptional: you mention "its gradual buildup(s), its sensuous harmonies, as well as the multiple emotional and contrapuntal layers found within" but all of these merits are plentifully in evidence in other works by Sorabji. I suppose that there are few works of his that rise from such comparative calm to such a climax in so short a span.

You've made me listen to it with a new attention, which is always good, but if I were singling out one of the studies (that are currently available) I might mention No. 26 or No. 36. Then again, perhaps I shouldn't, because there is a lot of exceptional music in the studies.

As for my favourite work by Sorabji overall ... I really struggle to choose one work from such a consistent composer. In fact, to choose one is immediately to regret not choosing another, which is why I was intrigued by your choice in the first place.

I forgot to mention that I severely disagree with your TE 3 Amazon.com review. :P

Offline ahinton

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #122 on: June 26, 2011, 10:40:57 PM
I forgot to mention that I severely disagree with your TE 3 Amazon.com review. :P
No longer, it would seem. Care to post the link to it here?

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline djealnla

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Offline nanabush

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #124 on: June 27, 2011, 03:02:12 AM
Back on topic...

Chabrier's '10 Pieces Pittoresques'.  Seriously, people should listen to these, and read up on them.  So much influence on French Music.
Interested in discussing:

-Prokofiev Toccata
-Scriabin Sonata 2

Offline sordel

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #125 on: July 08, 2011, 05:04:44 PM
I forgot to mention that I severely disagree with your TE 3 Amazon.co.uk review. :P

That's alright, I won't hold it against you.  :)
In the interests of full disclosure: I do not play the piano (at all).

Offline williampiano

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #126 on: September 02, 2011, 02:15:53 AM
Gershwin- Rhapsody in Blue

Offline rv

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #127 on: September 30, 2011, 02:15:08 PM
Chopin, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff - selected Etudes and Preludes.  ;D

I estimate that covers about 75% of my favorite piano pieces.

But if I had to choose one I might go for Scriabin - Sonata No. 2.

Offline pianoplayjl

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #128 on: October 13, 2011, 02:17:40 AM
Beethoven's Appassionata sonata. It gave me the goosebumps when i heard the first movement and 3rd movement.
Funny? How? How am I funny?

Offline stoudemirestat

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #129 on: December 27, 2011, 10:08:40 AM
The Liszt Sonata.

Offline gn622

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #130 on: December 27, 2011, 12:19:29 PM
Chopin second's scherzo, ive never heard something more brilliant than that.

Offline pianoplayjl

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Re: the greatest piano work of all time?
Reply #131 on: December 27, 2011, 12:23:59 PM
Lyapunov etudes. Almost comparable to Liszt but I prefer to listen to Lyapunov as opposed to LIszt and Chopin.

JL
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