LOTP streaming

So, I hope everyone is happy with the new time for the LOTP streaming, which is
Sunday January 3 19.00 Swedish time 1pm Eastern time
nothing else.

The link is to he stream is HERE

We start the Lieder of the Pack-show at that time, but I will start a half hour before that or so, to “warm up” with some stuff, I’m still looking for different things. One thing is to get the whole interview of this show:

To answer Katarzyna’s question about the stream being “saved” to watch later, the answer is that I can’t do that because of copyrights to the music. I’m already stretching the limits a little, but this will be a win-win situation for both composers and audience, I hope. And THANKS for reminding me about the Chopin year, actually, it made me think that the Giresta Festival this summer should be with Chopin as the main composer! Great thinking!

I have played in Poland a few times, last time was with Sinfonia Varsovia. I like Poland a lot, and I love to death the fact that the Polish are so proud of Chopin, and it’s really important to them, not just fluff. It’s like part of who they are, and I think it’s the best way culture can function. I really hope to get back and play there soon again.

The Program for the Sunday show will include:

An Arkeology, Bottleneck Barbiturate, Jungfru Maria, Grieg in Jiddish, Grieg in normal, This Sad Bouquet, and more…

I hope you will join in the chat (just create a quick login on Justin and you’re set to go) and show that sometimes this digital age can actually be really wonderful.

OBS! New time for Lieder of The Pack streaming!

Hello everyone,

I got some reactions from people who were working at the time planned to broadcast LOTP on Saturday, and also people from the U.S. who would have to get up at 5am…

So, the new time, which I hope will be possible for a maximum of people to watch the show, will be

Sunday January 3, at 7pm Swedish time, 1pm American time.

Here is, while you wait, a little teaser from another concert, An Arkeology with Attacca Quartet from New York, played in NY on December 13!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and LOTP stream coming

Merry Christmas to everyone, it seems like there has been real marshmallow-snow in most places for Christmas, New York, Princeton, Stockholm, Växjö…or?

***

As everybody does, I too will make a little list handing out the HUM…of the year. These are personal, and only are to be taken from my point of view. Of course. I’ll mix professional ones with silly ones…

Here we go:

Concert of the year
I had the incredible honor to play the Emperor Concerto at my idol Neeme Jarvi’s final concert with New Jersey Symphony. A will-never-forget concert.

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Movie of the year:
I have seen so few. Or perhaps I have seen so few good ones. But I think two worth mentioning (that I have seen) is Funny People with Adam Sandler and Julie&Julia where Meryl Streep shows why she is the best actress of my lifetime.

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Bizarre concert-moment of the year:
Concert pianists get heckled. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s fun when it does.

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Composer of the year:
Uhh…let’s see…hmmm…think,think….I know! Beethoven!

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Dumb comment of the year:
“Nobody wants to see a round woman.”
Karl Lagerfeld, clothing designer, after Brigitte, one of Germany’s top-selling women’s magazines, barred professional models from its pages in favor of “real women”.

Of course not everyone can be as stunning as this:

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Music piece of the year:
I don’t like to listen too much too my own CDs, but this one I have listen too a shameful amount of times…Jonas Nydesjö’s version of Bottleneck Barbiturate is the ultimate proof that you can write pop songs for strings with all the heartbreak but keep it classy. Wow.

***

Digital acquaintance of the year:
I have never met them in person, but I think I can say that I got to know them. Dilsa Demirbag-Steen and Per Bjurman are both great people that I am happy to know. Bjurman’s NHL-blog is the best blog in the country, and Dilsa’s articles are gold. And I read that she makes Jan Guillou pee in his pants just thinking about debating her on TV. You Go Girl!

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CD-design of the year:
The work Anna Mårtensson-Nilsson has made on my first Beethoven CD is soo cool, I love it. I know some of you have seen it, isn’t that retro style very, very nice?

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Catfight of the year:
Naomi Campbell to Victoria Beckham: “Why do they call you Posh?”
Victoria Beckham to Naomi Campbell: “Why do they call you beautiful?”
Woah!!!

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Commentator of the year:
If Majsan, Sara, Laura, Yvonne, Emma and all of you wouldn’t comment I wouldn’t write. Simple as that. Your comments means more than you think, I think. But I will hand over this year’s price to Christina, also because of all the comments on the Beethoven blog.
However, no prize can be won twice…wink, wink.

***

Weirdest google search to get to this page (yes, I can see that):
“Three rudest things you can say to a pianist”
….Que?

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Press conference of the year:
OK, so this press conference with John Tortorella being annoyed by Larry Brooks (Brooksie) of The New York Post was not this year, but what the heck. It’s like the Mother of all Press Conferences.

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Overstatement of the year:
Nancy Pelosi said in press conference that 500 million Americans will be out of a job if they don’t pass a stimulus package. That’s a lot of people, especially in a country with 300 million people.

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Event of the year:
When all is said and done, it has to be me becoming an American citizen on December 12.

It didn’t feel very dramatic, but in 20 years, it sure will be what I will remember the most. We were about 30 people or so in a room, and it was nice. I especially remember three things:

1) The guy next to me was so excited that he couldn’t say a word correctly of the oath of allegiance. “I solemny swear” became a VERY fast ISOWSWA!” being ahead of everyone else. I laughed through the whole oath.

2) Obama’s speech was cool (NO, he was not there, it’s a video) because he didn’t go “Oh, now everything will be SO great because this is the GREATEST country on earth blabla”. He was very down to earth, and at this stage (except for my neighbor) nobody wanted to hear that kind of crap. We know more than Americans do what it means to live here.

3) At the end, instead of singing the national anthem or “Oh beautiful, America”, they show an idiotic video with some cheesy popsong that we were supposed to sing along to. What is this, a swearing-in ceremony or a Karoke-bar? Need I say that nobody sang, despite the immigration officer enthusiastically trying to be an Department of Homeland’s Security’s own Kjell Lönnå.

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Fear of the year:
That books, and bookstores will disappear because of people reading on their e-readers, iPhones or whatever. iPhone SchmiPhone…The Book Store is a cultural institution that should never ever go away. If we get rid of book stores, we could just as well get rid of the Eiffel Tower too. We can have a virtual Eiffel Tower on the internet, yes, much cheaper! And we don’t have to travel to Paris! Sometimes this digital age is sad, sad.

***

Now to a little announcement of a broadcast on my internet channel.
It’s the Lieder of the Pack concert from Växjö, the one where we had a Live Blog. And you can chat with each other as the concert goes on, just log in on Justin.tv.

If you didn’t know where to find the internet channel, it’s here:

http://www.justin.tv/mindfeelmusic

And the broadcast will be on Saturday, January 2, at 11.00 CET, which is Swedish time. I might add one more later in that same day. Make sure to check back here!

And again, Happy Holidays, have a real nice Marshmallow Christmas!

( By the way, is Frank Sinatra pulling up his socks at 0.17?)

AT&T commercial, Le Pathetique and Q&A

AT&T has a commercial out which features Beethoven’s sonata Op. 13, the so called Pathetique-sonata. What does a classical pianist think about that?

Well, this classical pianist loves it. The only sad thing is that Beethoven couldn’t get pre-paid royalties for it while he lived. But what the heck, can’t get everything.

Here is the commercial:

***

And here is the orginal, played at a CD-signing in a Shopping mall. Christina asked me to put this up because she wanted to have some people see what happpens when the pedal cracks at around 0.40…it was the left pedal and I decided to not use it for the rest of the piece…

***

A couple of wrong notes, but overall not too badly played. I just played a little on the piece the same morning, so I got no real musical “plans”, just going with the flow. Sometimes that works…and sometimes it doesn’t.

***

This piece will be on the Volume II of my CDs with the complete Beethoven Sonatas. That will be a double-CD, containing the sonatas op. 49 (2), op. 7, op. 10 (3) and op. 13 (Pathetique). All those sonatas are recorded already except for the Pathetique, which I will record in about a week!

And I think I will write about Pathetique in the Beethoven-blog next. Perhaps I will find some time even today to write…that would be fun.

***

A popular thing to do in a blog when you’re too lazy to write something real is to do these question and answer-things. I guess they could pretty fun in a way, so here is mine. I started yesterday but was so tired that I finished it today. I just stole those questions from another blog, Per Bjurman’s. And likewise, feel free to ask questions of your own.

OK, so here it is:
Your name is:
Per Magnus Tengstrand.
Nicknames:
Tengis, Peran, Plutten(!), The Penist.
Music you listen to when you’re sad:
Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, slow movement.
What does people think about you in your opinion:
To half-quote (I know, not a word, but I just invented it, I think it works) myself in Solisten: “I don’t really have time to worry about what people think about me”. And I guess that in many eyes that makes me arrogant. So in a way, I think people think I am arrogant.
Is that true: Sometimes it’s absolutely true.
What is it people most often gives you compliments for:
That I play the piano fairly well.
What do you say to impress someone:
I say “That’s my wife” when I show the Kapustin-CD. Somehow the fact that I speak French fluently seems to have a universal way of impressing people.
How does a person impress you:
Being humble and not a diva. All divas goes with the codename “Princess” between Shan-shan and me. Male and females.
Do you laugh for yourself:
Yes, very often.
What does it say in the last SMS sent to you:
Don’t have a cellphone and never received or written an SMS.
Where do you live:
Princeton, NJ. (Link goes to Wikipedia on Princeton)
You like it:
Yes, very much.
Do you own any Converse:
What the hell is that?.
Do you get too drunk sometimes:
Nope.
Are you allergic to something:
The New York Rangers.
Next goal in life:
To finish the recording of the 32 Beethoven Sonatas.
How do you answer your mobile:
Told you, don’t have one. On the home-phone I answer with a simple “Hello?”
What did the person say that you last spoke to on the phone:
”Shit, I just fell asleep while driving”.
Hours of sleep last night:
Three and a half.
Did you sleep alone:
No. But I was alone in getting up at 5am…
Are you punctual:
Oh man, no. I am terrible. And if I was the one waiting, I would give myself hell for it. It’s arrogant to waste other people’s time by being late. People are just too nice to me, or afraid to tell me what they think. I should be late for a meeting with myself, then maybe I would learn a lesson.
When do you feel good:
When I practice a lot.
When did you last get your picture taken:
At the CD signing at Skivan och Boken.
How do you feel right now:
Very tired, but so happy that I’m back home that I don’t want to leave consciousness and I’m going to go to bed too late….
Most usual color on your clothes:
Black. I think.
What do you think of feet:
Women’s feet are pretty, but men’s are dead ugly. Even women and gay men MUST prefer women’s feet, no?
What do you miss?: A good thing I had to stop writing and think for a long time here…
Did you have a good evening last night:
I hope so. I recorded Beethoven Sonatas until midnight, but I have to listen to the takes once more to know if that evening was good or not. But I think it was.
Favorite drink in the morning:
Seattle’s best Black coffee. I am actually quite a snob when it comes to coffee. I bring my own coffee and make it in my room in hotels because often their coffee sucks.
Do you shave your legs:
Men shave their legs now? What has the world come to.
When do you normally go to bed:
A couple of hours before people normally get up.
Are you shy:
I guess not many people think I’m shy. But from time to time I am very shy.
Do you do any sports:
I go to a gym, if that counts. It doesn’t, right? But I did LOTS of sports when I was a kid. And nobody can imagine how much good it has done me in my music profession.
Do you prefer mail or letter:
Letter.
Do you believe in Love at first sight:
Oh yes.
Are you happy with your life?:
Very much so.
Are you spoiled:
No, I am not. Everything good that happened to me I earned by doing things and working. God, that sounds moronic and pretentious but so be it.
What are you doing tomorrow:
Playing Pathetique, An Arkeology and other small things at a concert in New York.
What are the worst things you know:
Except for war and starvation and such things…straight people who think gay marriage is their problem, the American health care system, Helle Klein. And many more things.
How much money do you spend in a week:
Between 100 and 5000 bucks.
Which celebrity do you think is a good role model:
Tiger Woods…not.
What are waiting for in anticipation:
To play all the Beethoven sonatas in Malmö, Lund and Helsingborg.
Do you have friends:
Yes: as most people, the close ones are very few, but they are real close friends.
What kind of schampoo do you use:
The one that happens to be in the shower.
What is the finest thing that was given to you:
My hands.
How old are you:
41.
Do you collect anything:
Not really. Grand pianos perhaps.
Green or red apples:
Green. Aren’t they more healthy or something?
Who do you call when you are sad or angry:
I don’t call anyone. Should I?
Do you like golf:
Golf? I call it Direktörsbandy.
What time did you get up today:
5am. In a timezone that is 6 hours ahead of the one I’m in right now. Yawn.
Did you sleep in your own bed:
No. But Elite Hotel in Växjö has great beds, so I was fine.
Are you wearing socks right now:
What kind of a question is that? Yes.
Is it OK to cry:
What kind of a question is that? Of course it is.
When was the last time you cried:
Can’t remember. I kind of never cry.
What would you do if you won a million dollars:
Buy the most expensive Audi there is.
Do you wear glasses or contacts:
contacts.
Do you often tan:
No, but it happens.
Are you good at cooking:
As long as I’m eating what I cook I’m pretty good. I would not take the risk of cooking for others, though….
Are you afraid of flying:
No. But the turbulens at the landing today was brutal. Many people threw up, and I was sweating pretty nastily.
Are you talented with music:
I certainly hope so.
What do you drink when you are thirsty:
Water.
Do yo believe in life after death:
That’s a philosophical question. I believe when you die it’s over. But that doesn’t matter to you because you won’t be feeling anything about it. You’re dead, remember? But for others, you are still there, with what you have given them throughout your life. In that way, you are not dead. Quite recently I came up with a motto which is “My goal in life is that when people hear my name when I’m dead they look up and not down”. Pretty good, no? I came up with it myself.
What do you prefer to eat when watching a movie:
In theater? Nothing. At home? Spaghetti and meatballs.
Do your parents live together:
They do.
Are you afraid of going to the dentist:
I was, for many years. But I was actually at the dentist three days ago.
Last piece of music you listened to:
This one. Ohmyohmy how I was in love with that girl when I was seven or something. This is my strongest childhood memory, I still get the chills. Jordgybbar å glassss…

***

A Letter To Emelie

We will Stream Live on the internet from Skivan&Boken on Saturday Dec. 5 at 12.30!

See more here:

http://pertengstrand.wordpress.com/new-live-streaming/

So, see you then, ok?

***

Some music from the new CD (click
here
to see how it looks like…) while you read that letter…this heartfelt, sensitive side of Beethoven is the one I see so much more than the grumpy picture many have of him.

No, this is not a letter from me to someone called Emelie. It is a letter from Ludwig van Beethoven to a little girl, who had sent him a gift and a letter.

This man, who has written the most touching music, could be rude and overbearing. He did not hesitate to write in an extremely harsh fashion to nobilities, or to just about anyone. His most touching letter, I think, is written to this eight-year old girl, and is completely fascinating in the way he is humble ( as you can read, the girl apparently compared him to Haydn and Mozart, but he declines this honor), but above all, in the incredibly respectful way he is “talking” to little Emelie.

***

I know some of you appreciate that I get a little personal, mentioning names of the kind people whop takes the time to leave a comment here. But I am just me, after all. This, this is Ludwig van Beethoven. And if he can write a letter like the following to an admirer, none is above giving their listeners a little more time. Because without people listening to your music, what’s the point?

***

So, enjoy this letter from one of the biggest geniuses mankind has ever seen, to a little girl.

***

My dear, kind Emilie, my dear friend!

My reply to your letter is late in arriving. A great amount of business and persistent illness may serve to excuse me. The fact that I am here for the recovery of my health proves the truth of my excuse. Do not rob Handel, Haydn and Mozart of their laurel wreaths. They are entitled to theirs, but I am not yet entitled to one.

Your pocketbook will be treasured among other gifts of a regard that many people have shown me but that I am still far from deserving.

Persevere, do not only practice your art, but endeavor also to fathom its inner meaning: it deserves this effort. For only art and science can raise men to the level of gods.

True artist has no pride. He sees unfortunately that art has no limits. He has a vague awareness of how far he is from reaching his goal and while others perhaps admire him, he laments that he has not yet reached the point to which his better genius only lights the way for him like a distant sun.

I should probably prefer to visit you and your family than to visit many rich people who betray themselves with poverty of their inner selves. If I should ever come to H. I will call on you and your family.

I know of no other advantages then those which entitle one to be numbered among one’s better fellow creatures. Where I find them, there is my home.

If you want to write to me, dear Emilie, just address it directly to Teplitz, or send it to Vienna. Look upon me as your friend and the friend of your family.

Ludwig van Beethoven. On July 17, 1812.

***

New York, Växjö and Lund here we come

OK, so you can click on this…

…and you will see what it says.

Yes, we will play and sign on those places.

If you cannot be there, you can send me an e-mail and tell me this:

Where should the CD be sent?

How and to Who should I sign them? I like to write a little greeting, not just sign it.

I will pass the signed CDs along to Per Fogdeson who will send it to you together with the payment info. Should we say the pre-December 5 price is…155 SEK?

So, my email address for this is
wewholikebeethoven@gmail.com

Isn’t that a kinda cool e-mail?

If you go to the happenings below, you can just get the CD there of course.

Here is some info:

Skivan&Boken in Växjö is in Linnégallerian, we will have a piano there and play for you!
12.30 on Saturday December 5th

Hotel Concordia in Lund, everything you need to know about where it is you can find here: www.concordia.se.
We start at 19.00, there is no charge to come and listen but: You must either call or send an e-mail to get a free ticket for this.

We can only take 50 people, and first come, first served.

The number to Concordia is this:
046 – 13 50 50
e-mail: info@concordia.se

I’ll get back to you with more about the gig at Le Poisson Rouge.

For those of you that haven’t heard Kapustin, here are a couple of videos. For those of you that haven’t heard Beethoven…it’s about time!

Studio Blog Part 2 – Beethoven In Da House

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”

***

This is a quote by Wayne Gretzky. It’s a quote that can be used by everyone, every day, but it doesn’t mean you pretend to be Wayne Gretzky. What I want to say is, if I quote Beethoven to highlight something, it doesn’t mean I think I’m Beethoven…

***

Emma, I didn’t understand if those people on the train were actually acting for a commercial for real? And just so you all know, I don’t have a cellphone…Are people like that in Stockholm? Hm. I’d say, if you want a friendly town, go to Växjö.

***

How enormously great to see Romuald comment…one of my oldest and best friends (not old, but old friend!) and it made me warm at heart to see that a little innocent one-liner meant something. Well, I owe him a big bunch of one-liners he has given me through the years.

One little example is when we had a public discussion at the Helsingborg Piano Festival about different recordings of Beethoven’s piano sonata op.2 nr.3. The second theme ( it’s more of a transitional theme but that’s not important here) I thought everyone played too stiff, it should be quite flexible. Romuald turned to me (we were sitting on the stage) and said quietly “hmm, I think there is a scary, sneaky feeling to it, shouldn’t be played too sweet”.

I finally got what he meant, months later when I recorded, and now I’m pretty happy with it on the recording. For those reading my Beethovenblog you would know that much in the music is like Opera, and with “sneaky” he means that it should sound a little insincere, like a person who doesn’t really show what he is feeling. This melody somes around 0.20:

***

Shan-shan is practicing Franz Schubert. Painfully beautiful music, that.

***

To continue my Studio blog, the second day of recordings was waaaaay better, it was actually really good. I did everything I planned to do, and even a little more. Now, I’m back home and I have been working in my studio downstairs in our house. Inspired by Marianne’s comment (and yes, Svanö sounds amazing), I actually made a little video to show you how it looks like. Some outside the house, but no, no time for that, instead I have to spend lots of time in that basement. Which I proudly can say have soundproofed walls.

The music is track 11 from the first Beethoven CD…

***

That is good advice indeed, Christina. I could actually say that I did that during the first day, partly I stopped recording and just practiced instead. But I didn’t walk away. And I think what we all think is that even when we have our downs, we just keep at it. We have to accept and work through the fact that not every day is blessed with us being our 100%. And that reminds me of another Gretzky-quote:

“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.”

And talking about feeling untalented, don’t even think about it. One of the quotes I’m proud of myself is from “Solisten” , I say something like “I don’t have the time to ponder whether I’m talented or not”

Talent is sometimes a very overrated gift.

***

Sara, do you know what we did for Halloween? We went to watch some College Hockey! The teams were Princeton versus Yale. I expected some really smart plays…but those kids were rough and tough, I tell you.

***

During the second day of recording, I had a short e-mail conversation with Per Bjurman, who was also stuck as I mentioned in the last post. I had commented on his blog that the last blogpost was much better, best of the year, and the conversation is as follows (sorry of most of it is in Swedish…)

PB:
Tack du.
Jag fick skärpa till mig helt enkelt.

PT:
Skärpa till sig är knepet. Inspiration is for wussies. Samma sak med musik.

PB:
Indeed

Heh.

***

Majsan asks how I keep my hands strong. Very good question, because the interesting thing about strength on piano is that you should use as little muscle tension and effort as possible. Keeping flexible, flexible, flexible. Sounds simple, but it’s not, and it’s perhaps the most overlooked part of piano teaching. That part, by the way, I learned a lot from 1) Romuald and 2) because I did a lot of sports and there the coaches are teaching this ALL the time. You can’t shoot, run or throw anything if you’re not flexible and smooth in your movements.

***

Strange…a really cool word. As Laura mentions, it can mean “not common”, “unique”. Like it means on the name of this blog, actually. And perhaps, if compared to The Ark’s studio blog, I should rather call it non-GLAMorous?
And thanks Laura, it is nice indeed to hear. Or read I should say.

***

As i mentioned, the second day was so much better. I recorded this and I think I can actually hear how happy I am that things are working. And hey! Would I be that relieved, have that kind of happiness if the day before wasn’t crappy? It just struck me as I wrote this, but I think we’re on to something.

OK, some happy Beethoven:

***

And oh, not to forget…coming soon to a store near you:

Hmmm…starting this post I had planned to quote Beethoven. That will have to wait until next one.

Studio Blog – All By Myseeeeelf…

Welcome to my completely non-glorious studio blogging. Laura mentioned before that I get to se many beautiful places, that may be true, but unfortunately I have been to all those places without really “being there”. You come to the concert hall, and most concert halls looks pretty crappy backstage, even Suntory Hall in Tokyo has a very…simple…feel once you leave this incredible concert hall:

Now, recordings, then you really NEED to forget where you are, and that can take half a day. Or I should say, it normally takes at least half a day. So here I am, at 9.51 in the evening having done so little today that I should be spanked with an audio cable. But luckily I know by now that this is how it is, and the only thing you have to be is patient and strong.

***

I filmed the Bottleneck encore in Västerås, but used some funky “straight-to-DVD” bullshit camera, and now I can’t convert it to a format that makes me being able to put it up here. Bummer. Instead I give you this little radio interview before the recent concerts. (Sorry for those who doesn’t understand Swedish)

***

Speaking about Per Bjurman, he says that he is not entirely happy with the way he writes right now. Just like I am not happy with this first day of recording. And then, what does one do when you feel that you are working without getting where you want? I guess we all have our own way. I know most people would say “take a break, don’t put too much pressure on yourself”. Maybe. But I’m just not convinced of that. I think the best thing is to just keep working even harder, in combination with two things:

1) A moment of a refreshing truth-telling to yourself how bad you are doing

2) Never be afraid of changing everything you thought you knew how to do

And then, just keep working hard, and TOMORROW will be another day. You will profit from all this he next day. But just walking away from your work thinking it will be different tomorrow. Well, I’m not talented enough for that.

***

Only Majsan liked the Emery story. But you know, I watched an interview with him, he owned a hummer (the car) and got stopped by the police 27 times in 3 years…every time it was a “routine check”. He is, of course, black. So, it’s understandable he is a little angry, no? Marianne, that was not the real competition, the real one is still to come, with a very nice price. That price just got much better today, actually. Soon…

***

Although I have a fancy concert hall as my recording studio, nothing else is very fancy. I work by myself. I listen to the takes, and 90% of them are not good enough. One minute of music can take hours if there is a day like today.

***

Today was really crappy. No good. Let’s see if tomorrow is better and I’ll be happy to let you know, okay?

***

New Jersey is the home of the meanest people in the world. Or, well, they are not all mean, they are just completely indifferent to each other. Except if you annoy them, then they let you know.

Sitting in the train from a rehearsal with NJSO…a man is talking quite loudly on his cellphone,

Another man shouts:
HEY, PLEASE TALK LOUDER SO WE ALL CAN HEAR ABOUT YOUR STUPID SHIT. LOUDER, PLEASE, THE PEOPLE IN THE NEXT CAR CAN’T HEAR YOU. COME ON, LOUDER, YOU IDIOT.

Welcome to New Jersey.

Wilhelm the great and a secret encore (well…)

First, a wonderful picture by Majsan from Kammaren. Isn’t this such a cool place to listen to some classical music?

I had four good concerts, hope to be back there soon.

***

I’m sorry it took a few days to answer your comments in the previous post, but it’s done now.

Emma, I’m sorry that you missed this. My advice is to try to check on this site now and then. I can recommend the Bloglovin link, it works really well. I try to update for concerts here, and as Yvonne said, this is a better way to do it than sending mail.

Since Kammaren I have been in Switzerland and France, I played a Mozart concerto and a concerto for violin and piano by Felix Mendelssohn. It’s slightly insane because it goes on for some 40 minutes and it has a LOT of notes. And they are fast…very fast:

Pierre Amoyal was the violinist. He’s a pretty famous guy, and he is heading the Camerata Lausanne. It was fun to play with them all for sure.

And you just listened to something that Felix M. composed when he was…14 years old. Mhm. There is talent and there is talent. Crazy.

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I was going to write some on some interesting questions that Christina sent me, but I am just sooo tired. It’s going to be half-assed, like the New York Rangers. So I’ll do it next, but good.

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Christina and Sara, Gothenburg are in my thoughts. And I promise, I want to play there even more than you want it.

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Anu, you were at Shan-shan’s concert in Helsingborg? How deadly cool of you. It was the best concert of the festival. There, I said it. But I might be slightly biased, heh.

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I have now arrived in Falun, after an disgustingly early awakening in Geneva I flew here and rehearsed with the Dala Sinfonietta and Västerås Sinfonietta who are doing these concerts together. It’s a great group of musicians, I love playing with them. You feel welcome and play better because of it. Bjarte Engeset is the conductor, a great guy and a great musician, we found a way to make music together right away.

We play Sweden’s best composer ever, Wilhelm Stenhammar, his second piano concerto. I love this music with all my heart. It’s so Swedish, so sad. Listen to this beautiful piano solo part of the slow movement:

Wow, I totally don’t like how I played this…it’s from a concert with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting from some years ago. I play it quite a lot warmer now. I hope.

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Can somebody tell me why half of Falun seems to be named after Kristina?

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We play Thursday in Falun and Saturday in Västerås. You can read more here

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I have three true stories, and I want you to tell me which one you think is the funniest. OK?

1.
From reading Thayer’s 1000 pages book on Beethoven (written around 1850, which makes for oustandingly cool English) I learned this: The Elector (ruler) of Bonn some years before Beethoven was born was Joseph Clemens. The problem for Joseph was that it was included to be a bishop and that he did NOT want, he had way too much fun with all the wives of his staff. So he refused to take the priestly oath, until one day…he declared to the whole city that he would make a big announcement Sunday in church. The whole city of Bonn is there, the Elector solemny gets up in the preacher’s stand…looks at the crowd…and all of a sudden shouts “ZUM APRIL!!!” and runs out of he church, laughing.

2.
Ray Emery is a goalie in Philadelphia Flyers. He is a very angry man. While playing in Russia, he beat up the assistant coach.
He once made a $500 bet with Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, among us hockeyfreaks called Alfie which required Emery to eat a cockroach that had been found on the floor of a Carolina dressing room. Yes, Emery ate the cockroach. And used the money to get another tattoo on his right arm which read, Anger is a Gift

3.
Francois-Rene Duchable made a big bang in the classical music world when he announced that he was going to stop playing because he thought the classical music world was just full of bullshit (he’s quite right, actually). The big bang was because of the way he did it. He took a helicopter, tied his grand piano to it, and in front of the TV cameras he dropped the piano in Lake Geneva. Very dramatic and very symbolic.

Only problem was, after a few days he got a letter from the police, telling him that he had polluted the lake and he had to arrange for a diving expedition and have a huge boat fish up the piano again…

Which one is your fav.?

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Lastly, the encore for Thirsday and Saturday…it’s by a Swedish composer. It’s for piano and strings. It’s originally a pop song. And its name starts with a B. Oh, and it sounds AMAZING with a full symphony orchestra…Any guesses?

One For The Road

Update: for those of you who got the OPUS-CD at Kammaren, you can see what the tracks are HERE

Hello all,

last night at home for a while, I’m leaving tomorrow and will be back in 3 weeks or so. First, the following things are awaiting:

Oct. 14-15 Kammaren, Stockholm,

Oct. 20 Lausanne, Switzerland

Oct 22 Falun

Oct 24 Västerås

And then, recordings of…Beethoven, of course.

Many of you have seen this via Facebook, but if you have not, here is Part 2 of BoB:

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Heh, I heard today that our favs The Ark is going to blog from their recording session. Aha! I don’t want to take credit for this, in no way, but I can say that Ola and I had a little conversation on this on the train to Uppsala, based on the fact that this blog had 1200 hits the night we (and I mean, me, Jonas and you guys) had a live blog from Växjö…

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Christina asked me in a message about playing differently in recordings, or concerts, or another day, or…that’s an interesting subject. I’m a little too tired to write well about that tonight, but I will shoot for the next post to explore it.

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For those of you who live near Stockholm, I can recommend the concerts at Kammaren, their website is here .

It’s in a quite special place, a large photo studio if I’m not mistaken (Jon, if you read this correct me in a comment…). The atmosphere is relaxed, you can have a glass of wine before, during, and after the concert. There is one show at 17.45 and one at 20.15, and they are not too long, so you can easily show up “after-work”.

Usually unusual things happens at those kind of informal concerts. I will play a couple of Beethoven sonatas you haven’t heard in the Beethoven blog before also…

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Oh, I have a little idea about a competition, but I’ll start that one in the post AFTER next…

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Time for me to go to bed, if you read this in the morning and needs to wake up a little, I have this video for you. I know, I still have some stuff from Växjö to show you, but I have to make those little movies and they should be good ( I’m slightly proud of my work with the Yiddish thing…it’s done with only one camera on a table which didn’t move or zoomed. Final Cut Pro is tricky but absolutely amazing)

Until soon…and comment away folks!