by Mark Ainley /
Recordings /
5 Comments /
April 17, 2019
The YouTube link at the bottom of this page presents a remarkably clear transfer from a British pressing of a Columbia 78rpm disc featuring Dinu Lipatti’s legendary April 17, 1948 recording of Ravel’s Alborada del Gracioso.
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
2 Comments /
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.’ We got into an amazing
Dinu Lipatti Birthday Tributes
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March 19, 2019
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March 19 is the anniversary of Dinu Lipatti’s birth – though as was recently discovered, Romania was using a different calendar at the time, so that date today would in fact be April 1st. Nevertheless,
A Master’s Voice: Victor Schiøler
6 Comments /
February 28, 2019
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It is truly astounding how some of the most amazing pianists are not as well remembered as some of their colleagues. It is a fact that while many great artists had notable careers, others did
Ignaz Friedman, Romantic Pianist Extraordinaire
6 Comments /
February 13, 2019
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The great Polish pianist Ignaz Friedman was born on this day in 1882. The highly individual interpreter was largely ignored by recording companies after his death in 1948: Columbia never issued a single LP (or
Edwin Fischer: A Discography
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January 25, 2019
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Since my introduction to historical recordings in the mid-1980s, Edwin Fischer has been one of my favourite musicians. The Swiss pianist had famously made the first complete recording of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier in the 1930s
Nikolai Orloff
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January 12, 2019
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One of the great and perhaps unexpected benefits of the CD era has been the publication of rare historic recordings to an astonishing degree. Recordings that were never released during the LP era have been
Favourite Releases of 2018
6 Comments /
January 1, 2019
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We are truly living in the most amazing time to be enjoying historical piano recordings: the offerings that are now available were an absolute dream even just a decade or two ago, let alone in
Evlyn Howard-Jones
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November 11, 2018
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I had never heard the name of Evlyn Howard-Jones until I stumbled across some YouTube uploads of a few Bach Preludes and Fugues that were played with extraordinary beauty. It turns out that this British