Did you get your autographed CD ?

It's due out tomorrow. (10/1)

How was the recital?

Chopin: Janina Fialkowska

Storm Corrosion [Import]

Storm Corrosion (Artist) | Format: Vinyl

Mozart Piano Concerto No.26: Perahia/English Chamber Orchestra

Early Serkin Sr. is so much better here with Dr. Szell.

Concerto No.17 is becoming one of my fave for Mozart Piano scores.

Summer Sun out of the above album was one of my fave when i was listening a lot of down tempo stuff. 

Love Waltz for Koop, its been too long. Did they every do anything else? Will put it on soon.

But, for now:

Disc 5 - Sonatas 30 - 32

Kuma,

Thanks for asking. No autograph, unfortunately. After the recital, Paul rushed back to his hotel, apparently not feeling well. The only way you'd notice during his playing were a couple of wrong notes, in an otherwise great recital. 958 and 959 before the break, 960 after. Lewis' Schubert is a publicly hysterical man, not given to much introspection (for that, listen to Zimerman, Perahia, Kovacevich) but all the unease and juxtaposed blackness and sunlight were there. I thought 960 was the real highlight, so often you feel the last two movements are tacked on, not with Lewis: the last movement even built to a climax that proved a brilliant ending of the show. 

During the break, an enterprising distributor had his whole catalogue for sale, including the old 959/960 disc (which I bought but haven't listened to yet) and the new set.

Cheers,

EJ

Matt,

I am not sure if anything they've done after the Waltz for Koop is any good. I've got a few of their *post Walts for Koop* singles but moved onto Nordic Lounge.

p.s. Gulda's Beethoven's late Sonatas got to be funky.

Originally Posted by EJS: Thanks for asking. No autograph, unfortunately. After the recital, Paul rushed back to his hotel, apparently not feeling well. The only way you'd notice during his playing were a couple of wrong notes, in an otherwise great recital. 958 and 959 before the break, 960 after. Lewis' Schubert is a publicly hysterical man, not given to much introspection (for that, listen to Zimerman, Perahia, Kovacevich) but all the unease and juxtaposed blackness and sunlight were there. I thought 960 was the real highlight, so often you feel the last two movements are tacked on, not with Lewis: the last movement even built to a climax that proved a brilliant ending of the show.

EJ,

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a good show in spite a few misplaying.

I do not know how big of the venue where you were but I'd think that playing programme like Schubert in a concert hall is difficult for any performer as much of subtleties get lost to pull off the retrospective feel his sonata needs, particularly D960.

The way you described his concert reminds me of his D840 "Relique". Like Horowitz's Carnegie Live recording of D960 where it is a highly charged and dynamic set but can't help to hink that he's playing for the audience and not much from within. Everything is a tad keyed up. Like a saturation/contrast dial is slightly to the right. A great showman ship for sure. 

I am looking forward to listening to more of his Schubert pieces which are on their way.

The XX - Coexist.

I'm really liking this.

Cheers

Flettster

Originally Posted by EJS: Thanks for asking. No autograph, unfortunately. After the recital, Paul rushed back to his hotel, apparently not feeling well. The only way you'd notice during his playing were a couple of wrong notes, in an otherwise great recital. 958 and 959 before the break, 960 after. Lewis' Schubert is a publicly hysterical man, not given to much introspection (for that, listen to Zimerman, Perahia, Kovacevich) but all the unease and juxtaposed blackness and sunlight were there. I thought 960 was the real highlight, so often you feel the last two movements are tacked on, not with Lewis: the last movement even built to a climax that proved a brilliant ending of the show.

EJ,

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a good show in spite a few misplaying.

 

I do not know how big of the venue where you were but I'd think that playing programme like Schubert in a concert hall is difficult for any performer as much of subtleties get lost to pull off the retrospective feel his sonata needs, particularly D960.

 

The way you described his concert reminds me of his D840 "Relique". Like Horowitz's Carnegie Live recording of D960 where it is a highly charged and dynamic set but can't help to hink that he's playing for the audience and not much from within. Everything is a tad keyed up. Like a saturation/contrast dial is slightly to the right. A great showman ship for sure. 

 

I am looking forward to listening to more of his Schubert pieces which are on their way.

I attended this concert as well, it was held in the small Jurriaanse Zaal of the Doelen in Rotterdam.

it was a very well executed set of sonatas, an emotionally exhaustive set as well, to hear them all three in a row.

I know these sonatas very well, my wife has played them as well and I have heared them dozens of times during practice sessions and performed for her very critical piano teacher.

With Lewis, the first one, in C, was a tad fast in the first and fourth movement, thereby losing some of the breathing pauses and some of the detail in the faster passages. But otherwise Lewis breaths Schubert inside and out. He is one of the few who knows how to lift all the melodic lines and bring them to attention without muddling them up as some/many do.

Lewis is one who uses the sustain pedal very often (something my wife's piano teacher doesn't allow) and knows how to create lovely sound in the mezzo and piano sections.

The sonata in A was very well executed, Lewis coming noticably better into his playing.

After the break, the sonata in Bes, with an unfortunate disturbance from the audience during play which caused Lewis to pause somewhat longer between parts, also very well executed, but the second one in A was my favourite of the evening.

-

aleg

Somebody shouting "Kijk voor je!" (Look in front of you) in the back of the hall. Between movements, fortunately. A side effect of the very elderly population that attends classical concerts. Seriously, I felt like the youngest guy there twenty years ago and I still do.

Cheers,

EJ

On CD, the amazing Danny T:-

If it were only just that, certain behaviour preceded and followed this specific moment.

It all happened just yards from me.

It can't have passed by Paul Lewis unnoticed and it disturbed me greatly during my listening.

-

aleg

I can only agree. But I'm sure it had nothing to do with his not feeling well, his assistant told me he had just recovered from an ear infection and a cold, and was not feeling well at all yesterday. He seems a nice enough fellow, met him briefly when he last visited a year ago.

Let me know next time you are over for a proper get-to-know-you! 

EJ

The Fantasie is placed first on this set. Very powerful performance. The second set of impromptus is wonderfully done as well, and disc 1 of this set is at least a great success. I'll save disc 2 for another day, want to first listen to...

Older recordings, so I don't expect a direct link to yesterday's performance.

Cheers,

EJ

Why? 'Cos it's new and I haven't played it yet.

steve

Very good record.

May I recommend you an another approache?

Not very easy to get it but I am sure you will collapse after listening.

iTunes/iMac:-

On Vinyl:-

iTunes/iMac:-