Manuel Ponce

[jacobspauly]

Hey Everyone,
I've been reading this forum for some time now and have really enjoyed the discussions here.

I was wondering if anyone here plays or enjoys Ponce(Mexican neo-Baroque composer). Thanks to focal dystonia from over doing Guiliani exercises, I am a coverted classical guitar player into piano. I definitely have my opionions about overly repititive technique exercises like Hanon. BE CAREFUL!!! I still enjoy the Spanish/Latin American music, but it seems that pianists or publishers don't really focus on these composers.

Anyway, I am working on the "Prelude and Fugue on a Theme by Handel" by Ponce and was wondering if anyone here can share any performance advice for me. I also would like to explore any good piano recordings or performance pieces of Villa-Lobos/ Turina/ Rodrigo etc.. I am relative unfamliar with these composers piano output versus their guitar.

Thanks a lot and I look forward to being part of this forum.

Paul

[Sydney]

My Mexican friend gave me a Ponce's piano piece copy. Estrella or something in E-minor??
It is only a 3 pages-melow-piece but it is sooooo beautiful.

I suggest you to try Albeniz and Falla if you love Spanish composers.
I like 'Seguidillas' by Albeniz recorged by Magda Tagliafero, which is a fun and very Audalucian-Spanish piece. You can feel Flamenco mood.

[julie391]

granados too

look out for albeniz's iberia suite - generally considered the piano masterpiece in this style

[sharon_f]

Also check out Mompou.

[julie391]

and ginastera

[kissinfan]

i was also reading the smashing prelude and fugue on a theme by Handel, i love this work, is my fave among Ponce´s works...
the 1st time i read it i had in mind it was a romantic work, and played in that way, then i stopped to look it closely: form, voices, the polyphonic line and tried to study it like a prelude and fugue by Bach, what a good experiment this was,
i understand why you say neobaroque, i would say that the gorgeus fugue is a neobaroque mixed with a perfect romantic touch
why foreigners like Estrellita? maybe its good but i find deeper and melancholic Lejos de ti (far from you) 

[jacobspauly]

Yea, Ponce's fugue is incredible. I play it with almost no pedal to bring out the polyphony, but there are also some great romanticly inspired parts to it also. There's a couple parts that technically are challenging for me now, like the descending parallel thirds, but I'm slowly getting it faster and smoother. Very original IMO. I am working on Sevilla by Albeniz from the Suite Espanol now. It's pretty easy, but sounds beautiful.

Thanks for the input.
Paul