Radio interview with me (KZSU)

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I posted the chat portion of this previously, but the video here, which contains the full two hour (!) programme had previously been blocked by YT on copyright grounds. On such a basis, I shouldn't really have it online, but I'll be keeping it up for a few weeks in case people would like to listen.

The programme is me chatting with noted music critic Dr Gary Lemco about operatic paraphrases, 19th century music history and pianists of the past, and him playing really rather a lot of my recordings! It's a bit of a lengthy event (!) and, as it was conducted live on California radio, unfortunately for me it started at 3 am 

Time listing
0:00 Intro
1:28 Bellini-Wright Fantasy on La Sonnambula
9:25 Chat
14:21 Wagner-Liszt Fantasy on Rienzi
22:19 Chat
25:19 Bellini-A. Jaell Reminiscences de Norma
(world premiere commercial recording)
36:37 Chat
40:47 Liszt Liebestraume no.3 played by Frederic Lamond
44:42 Donizetti-Thalberg Don Pasquale Fantasy (extract) played by Earl Wild
49:46 Chat
52:53 Bellini-Thalberg Casta diva
59:15 Chat
1:02:06 Liapunov Nuit d'ete (Transcendental Etude no.5): live performance by me
1:12:06 Chat
1:14:14 Verdi-Martucci Fantasy on La forza del destino (world premiere commercial recording)
1:23:05 Chat
1:25:37 Verdi-Wright Fantasy on Miserere
1:31:04 Chat
1:34:29 Massenet-Saint-Saens Concert Paraphrase on La mort de Thais (world premiere commercial recording)
1:43:16 Chat
1:45:28 Donizetti-Leschetizky Andante finale from Lucia di Lammermoor (for lh only)
1:50:33 Chat
1:52:40 Wagner-Liszt Isolde's Liebestod

[kalospiano]

Listened to the whole thing this morning.
It's a lot to take in so I will have to re-explore some of the pieces which have most made an impression on me, like the Casta Diva, Lyapunov's work and one of the pieces where the interviewer kinda hummed the main theme before the performance, can't remember which one it was but it was among the last ones.
The playing is most impressive as always. Glad this radio noticed you and gave you the exposure you deserve.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks! I'm impressed you managed to listen to the entire thing: I don't think it gets boring but it is a somewhat epic programme. The one he hummed the theme from will have been La forza del destino, paraphrased by Martucci in the piano version played on air.

Both settings featured of Casta diva are lovely arrangements (in my admittedly somewhat biased view) but I'm particularly glad to have recorded the Jaell "Reminiscences": he wrote an enormous number of piano works and almost none of them have been recorded.

[ted]

Some richly deserved recognition Andrew, I hope it continues. I listened to most of it but found the breathless speed of the interviewer irritating.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks, it was gratifying to get a radio programme specifically devoted to my recordings (and compositions!) I didn't have a problem with the pace of the interview but it must be said we had an awful lot of material to get through and it was on a specific live schedule which meant we had two hours and absolutely no more. It was also nice to get some exposure for what in the final analysis is some extremely rare, borderline forgotten repertoire.

[kalospiano]

I didn't mind the interviewer. Felt bad for him when he had a cough crisis at some point and had trouble talking the piece I meant was indeed La Forza del Destino, very good work once again

[frodo1]

Great performances and informative discussion.  Outstanding accomplishment!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks, glad you found it enjoyable!