My Meeting with Alexis Weissenberg

[ed palamar]

was during intermission of a concert at West Chester State College.

I didn't know much about famous pianists then, nor repertoire.

(Even when I was younger I didn't know who Artur Rubenstein was until years later :
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=64047.0 )

I'm not going to give all the details at once to promote some dialogue, hopefully a kind question.

[ed palamar]

We each had a cigarette together.

[ed palamar]

He suggested I give the Rach 3 a try.

[georgey]

We each had a cigarette together.

Smoking is bad for your health.

[georgey]

He suggested I give the Rach 3 a try.

Did you follow his suggestion?

[ed palamar]

Smoking is bad for your health.

This 16th century quatrain refers to smoking in the last line, "sceptre to pacify".

IV : 10
The young Prince falsely accused
Will plunge the army into trouble and quarrels:
The chief murdered for his support,
Sceptre to pacify: then to cure scrofula.

[ed palamar]

Did you follow his suggestion?

Eventually.

As we conversed in the lobby, we were less than five miles from where and when this quatrain was fulfilled less than twenty years previous.

V : 41
Born in the shadows and during a dark day,
He will be sovereign in realm and goodness:
He will cause his blood to rise again in the ancient urn,
Renewing the age of gold for that of brass.

The following summer, Peter Orth came back to WCSC and he had just learned the Rach 3.

It was the first time I ever heard it straight through; an experience I will never forget.

He played it with a second piano part, which was also played well.

Pete's on the top of my list to play the Rach 3 on ship :

https://risen-from-the-dead.forumotion.com/t126-concert-pianists-and-others#153

[georgey]

This 16th century quatrain refers to smoking in the last line, "sceptre to pacify".

IV : 10
The young Prince falsely accused
Will plunge the army into trouble and quarrels:
The chief murdered for his support,
Sceptre to pacify: then to cure scrofula.

SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.

[georgey]

Eventually.

As we conversed in the lobby, we were less than five miles from where and when this quatrain was fulfilled less than twenty years previous.

V : 41
Born in the shadows and during a dark day,
He will be sovereign in realm and goodness:
He will cause his blood to rise again in the ancient urn,
Renewing the age of gold for that of brass.

The following summer, Peter Orth came back to WCSC and he had just learned the Rach 3.

It was the first time I ever heard it straight through; an experience I will never forget.

He played it with a second piano part, which was also played well.

Pete's on the top of my list to play the Rach 3 on ship :

https://risen-from-the-dead.forumotion.com/t126-concert-pianists-and-others#153

I saw Peter Orth when he came to our area and performed Rach sonata #2 and Scriabin.  Also saw him perform Brahms 2nd piano concerto - fantastic!

[ed palamar]

SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.

There was one word for all that back in the 1500's; seems a lot simpler that way, too.

[ed palamar]

I saw Peter Orth when he came to our area and performed Rach sonata #2 and Scriabin.  Also saw him perform Brahms 2nd piano concerto - fantastic!

We both studied with Benjamin Whitten of the college's piano faculty back then :

https://www.mtnafoundation.org/fellow-program/fellow-listing/2003-fellows/

The accompanist for the Rach 3 Orth performance was George Reeves :

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/montgomerynews/obituary.aspx?pid=138510126

George, Peter, and I were all student audition winners/performers with the Philadelphia Orchestra at some point; when I auditioned in the junior division and Peter in the senior, we traded off the second part accompaniments;  I had only just met Pete a few years before when he played without accompaniment the Liszt triangle concerto at about the age of 15; I didn't know a piano could roar and bounce around like that, needles to say, it's amazing.

Ben is a student of Leon Fleischer, student of Artur Schnabel, and eventually back to Beethoven himself.

[ed palamar]

Alexis told me that he had met with Peter, too, and that he showed much promise.

Here is my personal review of a concert Peter Orth gave in 2012 A.D. in the comment section below the interview :

https://www.pcmsconcerts.org/learn/blog/artist-interview-peter-orth/