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Piano Street Magazine:
Women and the Chopin Competition: Breaking Barriers in Classical Music

The piano, a sleek monument of polished wood and ivory keys, holds a curious, often paradoxical, position in music history, especially for women. While offering a crucial outlet for female expression in societies where opportunities were often limited, it also became a stage for complex gender dynamics, sometimes subtle, sometimes stark. From drawing-room whispers in the 19th century to the thunderous applause of today’s concert halls, the story of women and the piano is a narrative woven with threads of remarkable progress and stubbornly persistent challenges. Read more

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Topic: Busoni (Read 1753 times)

ahinton

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 12149

Busoni

on: December 03, 2016, 06:00:22 PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084cpk8#play

It's only taken BBC just over 8 months to get itself around to commemorating the composer's 150th anniversary but at least it's done so now.

Some good things indeed but the musical examples were almost embarrassingly brief.

But the Piano Concerto at 80 minutes? Most performances and recordings are around the 70 minute mark! There was one recording that distended it to almost 90, about which the less said the better...

Any thoughts?

Best,

Alistair

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Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

roncesvalles

PS Silver Member
Full Member
Posts: 123

Re: Busoni

Reply #1 on: December 19, 2016, 01:07:54 PM

That's definitely not faster than the thoughts of man. Busoni probably would have abhorred such a significantly sluggish performance. Was the entire concerto slow, or were any sections privileged?

I'm glad they tried Busoni, at least, even if a plodding performance of a monumental work might ward off some. Busoni is for me one of the most rewarding (and re-rewarding) composers of the 20th century.