by Mark Ainley /
Feature / Recordings /
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December 31, 2019
It is a sad reality that a great many supremely gifted musicians did not have careers that their talent might have warranted, with some of these great musicians having had to face some tremendous adversity.
Jascha Spivakovsky: A Romantic Rediscovered
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November 1, 2019
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Our appreciation of pianists of the past is based primarily on their recordings. How amazing that in this age of digital technology we can listen to the actual playing of pianists born and trained in
The Resplendent Rosita Renard
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September 30, 2019
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It is a tremendous blessing that recording technology has allowed the playing of great musicians of the past to be preserved for future generations. In some cases, we are able to hear performances that came
Alfred Cortot and the Chopin Etudes
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September 26, 2019
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Alfred Cortot was a supreme interpreter of Chopin – he studied with the composer’s pupil Émile Descombes – and fortunately he left us many recordings made over the course of several decades. At times his
Marcelle Meyer’s Last Records: World Premiere Vinyl Release
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September 5, 2019
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Anyone who explores historical recordings is interested in ‘what might have been’ – opportunities for recordings that never transpired, missed chances that were not realized. Fortunately in some cases, new technology and the hard work
Putting It Together: 78rpm Disc Editing
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September 3, 2019
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I’ve recently been uploading some fantastic transfers of 78rpm discs made by Tom Jardine, who has generously allowed me to put them on my YouTube channel. In a couple of cases, joining one side of
The Piano Files 10th Anniversary
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July 8, 2019
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When I began my Facebook page The Piano Files with Mark Ainley ten years ago, I had no idea that it would grow to the extent that it has – that wasn’t the intention. It
Harold Bauer
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July 1, 2019
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“My earliest reaction to music, as far as I can recall, was one of fascinated terror.” It seems amazing that a pianist who produced one of the loveliest sonorities ever captured on record would have
A Tribute to Solomon
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April 11, 2019
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The distinguished Canadian pianist Robert Silverman and I share a deep admiration for the British pianist Solomon. Over the course of our regular mealtime meetings in Vancouver, we spend hours discussing a wide array of musical
Performing Notes
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March 31, 2019
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After a friend’s piano recital last year, a post-concert conversation amongst a few attendees took a fascinating turn. A teacher mentioned hearing students state a preference for interpretations that are ‘clean.’Â Â We got into an amazing