What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XI)

(2014)

Some more prog rock from Rick Miller.

Couleur du temps:   Magdalena Zuk

Frederic Chopin:

Prelude in C-sharp minor, op. 45

Nocturne in F, op. 15, no. 1

Piano Concerto in E minor, op. 11, Larghetto Romance (Arr. for piano solo by Magdalena Zuk)

Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Lento con gran espressione

Souvenir de Paganini, Allegretto

Claude Debussy:

Suite Bergamasque

Maurice Ravel:

Pavane pour une Infante Defunte

Karol Szymanowski:

Nine Preludes, op. 1

The most extraordinary thing about this recording of Magdalena Zuk is how soft and mellow her playing is.  I like this and is something I strive for myself but it is sort of an oxymoron on the piano (nearly impossible).  It is like playing a piano without hammers as they say and rather than heavy percussive, overbearing sounds you have a softness and rounded bell like tone.  This is my opinion is perfect for Chopin.  Although from different period, I think it is a breath of fresh air to hear Debussy, Ravel, and Szymanowski in this light as well.

Indeed, it is like looking at soft light filtered through a veil rather than looking at a high powered halogen light directly.  For a listener it is the difference of playing (for yourself) or for one listener several feet away to that of a player who is muscularly playing for 3000 people in a hall where you want to reach the guy 100 rows back while also playing to row 1.  The subtlety is lost in the case of the latter.

With Zuk, you will not hear an ugly note played.  For example, the standard way we mostly hear the F major Nocturne played is to boldly shock the listener in a contrast of extremes - a loud, wild inner section wrapped around a tranquil beginning and end.  

The contrast is further boosted by the shock of the inner sections going suddenly from F major to F minor and then Chopin drastically speeds everything up to the extreme (after previously slowing down with a smorzando) and marks this section con fuoco, which you can guess means something like 'with fire'.

The surprise from Zuk is that she actually starts this wild section off as a pianissimo and builds a true crescendo rather than place a sharp, loud, piercing first note like with an emphatic sforzando.  If you do this you really cannot increase it in volume after this point.  Zuk's interpretation is bold and unique and quite unusual to hear from anyone else.  A nice touch as she has so much colour as a result.

My only question mark in interpretation comes from Zuk's own transcription of the slow movement of Chopin's E minor piano concerto.  A beautiful transcription and wonderful to hear, however, I felt that given she has essentially turned this gem into a solo piece, I felt she could have 'played' with it more allowing it to open up and breath more.  Some places she keeps the rhythm rigid and I felt it could have some more flexibility (rubato).

Couleur du temps (color of time) works wonderfully for me.  If you prefer more masculine, athletic playing tending to the loud side then this is not for you.

Before I tune into Glastonbury some reggae from Black Symbol who i think I saw back in late 70s or early 80s in Handsworth Park at some reggae festival.....

Not much reggae at Glastobury mind you 

But expecting The Who to blow the world apart tomoorrow night and show the kids how its done 

Richard

Streaming | FLAC Download from Bandcamp

(2011)

Good strong and engaging post-rock album from this Aussie band.

A couple of my old 12" vinyls from school days;

Perfect saturday afternoon guilty pleasures...

More school favourites, but a more normal service resumed.  On original vinyl, a bit worse for wear, but still sounding really great.  

Marred by a horribly compressed sounding recording. Deserves better treatment.

G

Bill Frisell - electric and acoustic guitars, loops and music boxes
Greg Leisz - pedal steel, Dobro, lap steel, Weissenborn, National steel guitar and mandolin
Wayne Horvitz - organ, piano, samples
Viktor Krauss - bass
Jim Keltner - drums & percussion

Delightful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq1ovHXAqHo

On the original vinyl:-

Songs with heart and soul the man gets better and better

I take it all back as i have just noticed that Steel Pulse is playing Sunday Evening.

That looks good, so I've ordered it from Canada on CD, which is cheaper than downloading it from France. I could do with another Bill Frisell record. 

Streaming | CD FLAC rip

(1976)

After playing so much "modern" prog' today, I thought it time to play some of the old and better originals. 

Playing record match on Facebook 

Agreed. One of the most unsung singer songwriters of our generation.

G

Streaming | CD FLAC rip

(1972)

I guess I am just in  a prog rock mood. 

24/96

Budgie-Never Turn Your Back 

UK first press picked up today

I heard this on Radio 3 this morning, and loved it. So I downloaded it from Hyperion....

Great album. Looking forward to seeing him July 19.

The Best Of Stealers Wheel. On vinyl from 1978.

On CD

One of my all time favourites - power soul and such an expansive voice.

Now via SL cables, which have taken away the sibilance which can emerge.

No More Tears......classic track.

If you can get a vinyl copy of this, highly recommended.

Chess original vinyl. Brilliant live set.