Classical Vibrations

Senior Prize Winners of the Menuhin Competition Oslo 2010

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:13:05 +0000

Senior Prize Winners of the Menuhin Competition Oslo 2010 (limit: age 22 and under):

1st Prize: Xiang Yu (China)
2nd Prize: Nigel Armstrong (USA)
3rd prize: Suyeon Kang (Australia)
4th Prize: Ji Won Song (Korea)
5th Prize: A. Timothy Chooi (Canada)

Bach Violin Sonata No.2 – Andante, Xiang Yu (1st Prize) at Menuhin Competition 2010

Nigel Armstrong en la semifinal del Concurso de Violín Buenos Aires 2010 / Violin Competition

Leoš Janáček – Free Sheet Music for Piano

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:36:25 +0000

Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) – Free Sheet Music in PDF for piano

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1.X.1905 (Janáček, Leoš)

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In The Mists (Janáček, Leoš)

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On the Overgrown Path (Janáček, Leoš)

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Zdenka Variations (Janáček, Leoš)

From Wiki:

Leoš Janáček (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlɛoʃ ˈjanaːtʃɛk] (baptised Leo Eugen Janáček) (July 3, 1854 – August 12, 1928), was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by contemporaries such as Antonín Dvořák. His later, mature works incorporate his earlier studies of national folk music in a modern, highly original synthesis, first evident in the opera Jenůfa, which was premiered in 1904 in Brno. The success of Jenůfa (often called the “Moravian national opera”) at Prague in 1916 gave Janáček access to the world’s great opera stages.Janáček’s later works are his most celebrated. They include the symphonic poem Sinfonietta, the oratorial Glagolitic Mass, the rhapsody Taras Bulba, string quartets, other chamber works and operas. He is considered to rank with Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana, as one of the most important Czech composers.

Winners of Montreal International Musical Competition 2010

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:15:22 +0000

FIRST PRIZE ($30,000): Benjamin BEILMAN, United States

SECOND PRIZE ($15,000): Korbinian ALTENBERGER, Germany

THIRD PRIZE ($10,000): Nikita BORISOGLEBSKY, Russia

See the official website: www.concoursmontreal.ca

Montreal International Musical Competition (2010) – Benjamin Beilman

Montreal International Musical Competition (2010) – Korbinian Altenberger

Montreal International Musical Competition (2010) – Nikita Borisoblebsky

Free Sheet Music – Piano – Franz Liszt

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:56:53 +0000

Free Piano Sheet Music by Franz Liszt

Wiki Bio:

Franz Liszt (Hungarian: Ferencz Liszt, in modern use Ferenc Liszt,^{[note 1]} from 1859 to 1867 officially Franz Ritter von Liszt)^{[note 2]} (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) was a Hungarian^[1]^[2]^[3] composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher.

Liszt became renowned throughout Europe during the 19th century for his great skill as a performer. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age and perhaps the greatest pianist of all time.^[4] He was also an important and influential composer, a notable piano teacher, a conductor who contributed significantly to the modern development of the art, and a benefactor to other composers and performers, notably Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Camille Saint-Saëns, Edvard Grieg and Alexander Borodin.

As a composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the “Neudeutsche Schule” (“New German School”). He left behind a huge and diverse body of work, in which he influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated some 20th-century ideas and trends. Some of his most notable contributions were the invention of the symphonic poem, developing the concept of thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form and making radical departures in harmony.^[5]

Free Sheet Music in PDF format

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Nuages gris, S.199 (Liszt, Franz)

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Liszt: Bagatelle sans tonalite

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:53:38 +0000

Franz Liszt: Bagatelle sans tonalite (written 1885).

This work for solo piano by Franz Liszt, the virtuoso pianist of the late 19th Century, was titled “Fourth Mephisto Waltz” but subtitled “Bagatelle sans tonalite”. Although the work has a suggested tonality of D it is so highly chromatic that the definite tonality is obscured.

Here Liszt avoids triads, the three-note building blocks of chords, builds up augmented chords, and does not always resolve the voice-leading in traditional ways. Tritone ring out abundantly, likely taunting the 19th Century listener more than our “tonally damaged ears”.

As Alex Ross quotes in his book The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century
, “Wagner muttered to Cosima that his old friend was showing signs of ‘budding insanity’.” (Ross, 43)

Before listening, download the score for free: Download Score for Liszt Bagatelle sans Tonalite

Liszt:Bagatelle sans tonalité (Alfred Brendel)

Muppets: Ode To Joy

admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 22:07:13 +0000

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Classical Guitar Strings – Tension

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:54:03 +0000

Confused about what string tension to use on your classical guitar? It’s a complicated question and something classical guitarist battle over and over again. Often it’s just a flavour of the month for most, but others have specific choices for specific reasons.

Here’s some basis guidelines to help you make the right choice.

Level of Player and Strength of Right Hand

First off, by strength I do not mean “how strong your muscles are” but instead the ability to remain relaxed and balanced when digging in hard. If you have tension problems in the hands, shoulders, neck, face etc, you should likely stay clear of hard tension.
Level: Beginners should generally use normal tension strings (light tension) until they gain some confidence in their technique. However, there is not necessarily a connection between playing level and string tension. Many professionals such as David Tanenbaum simply use d’Addarrio normal tension strings such as D’Addario EJ45 Pro-Arte Classical Guitar Strings Normal Wound Clear Nylon
Many advanced players prefer a heavier string, especially on the nylon trebles. With a high quality guitar and a trained right hand, a good volume is essential so they will want to digg in hard at times. Again, control and relaxation are very important before you switch.
Balance and control. Many players insist that a heavy tension string will offer balance and control but I have to differ in this opinion. I use heavy tension strings but I insist that my students learn to gain control of light tension strings so that I am sure that it is their hands that are in control, not the guitar.

Guitar Construction

Not all guitars can handle a high tension string. I’ve found that some instruments, particularly thin topped guitars, don’t necessarily respond well to high tension strings and get “thudy”. Sometimes the responsiveness and dynamic level suffers. Other guitars however, benefit greatly in dynamics with a switch to high tension.

How to make a decision

If you are a beginner you should consult a qualified instructor. They will be able to gauge the plus sides and negative sides of a string tension in relation to your level and instrument.

What are my favorite strings?

D’Addario EJ46 Pro-Arte Silver/Clear Hard Classical Guitar Strings (3-Pack)
- I still find d’Addarrio to create the most legato and expressive sound. However, the 3rd string is a bit muffled and plastic sounding.
540J Alliance/HT Classic Classical Guitar Strings
- These Savarez strings tend to brighten up the sound and clear up balance issues. I use these for my concert guitars because on stage it’s clarity that matters.

Hope that answered some of your questions.

Top Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chewychua/88487196/

Female Classical Guitarists

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:49:13 +0000

There have been many emails from the girls asking for more features on female classical guitarist. Well, here it is! The woman guitarist is not uncommon in this male dominated art.

Female Guitarist – Woman of the Guitar – List:

Ana Vidovic
Sharon Isbin
Martha Masters
Xuefei Yang
Pia Gazarek- Offermann

Did I forget your favorite guitarist? Leave a comment!

Looking for an inspiring gift for yourself or daughter:

Female Classical Guitarists

Ana Vidovic

Ana Vidović (born 8 November 1980 in Karlovac, Croatia) is one of the youngest virtuoso guitarists in the world. She started playing guitar at the age of five, inspired by her brother Viktor. By the age of 11 she was performing internationally, and at 13 became the youngest student to attend the prestigious National Musical Academy in Zagreb where she studied with Professor Istvan Romer. Vidović’s reputation in Europe led to an invitation to study at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, U.S., with Manuel Barrueco, from where she graduated in May 2003. In an interview, she has stated that she plays lots of scales and uses a metronome.

Xuefei Yang

(simplified Chinese: 杨雪霏; traditional Chinese: 楊雪霏; pinyin: Yáng Xuěfēi; born March 15, 1977 in Beijing) is an award-winning Chinese classical guitarist.

The pioneering spirit of internationally acclaimed guitarist and EMI recording artist, Xuefei Yang, has been evident since childhood. The Beijing-born, London-based musician is the first :

Guitarist to enter a music school in China
Guitarist to graduate with a BA degree in guitar, in China
Guitarist to receive an international scholarship from the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music, for her postgraduate study at Royal Academy of Music
Chinese person to receive such a scholarship
Person from mainland China to launch an international career as a guitarist
Chinese guitarist to sign with a major record label (EMI).

Martha Masters

Martha Masters is a renowned American classical guitarist. She won the 2000 Guitar Foundation of America international solo competition. Masters is the Executive Vice-president of the GFA.

According to Naxos “she received both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, where she studied with Manuel Barrueco, and completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California as a student of Scott Tennant.”

Martha is currently a professor and guitar instructor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, where she gives both private instruction and directs the LMU Guitar Ensemble.

Martha Masters ~ Scarlatti Sonata K.277 L.183 P.275

Sharon Isbin

Sharon Isbin (born August 7, 1956 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota) is a widely-recorded American classical guitarist, recording artist, concertizer, and the founder of the Guitar Department at the Juilliard School.

She is the author of the Classical Guitar Answer Book, and is Director of guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival^[1] and The Juilliard School. Isbin has been hailed as “the pre-eminent guitarist of our time” (Boston Magazine.) She is also the winner of Guitar Player magazine’s “Best Classical Guitarist” award, First Prize winner of the Toronto Guitar ’75 competition, a winner of the Madrid Queen Sofia, and the first guitarist ever to win the Munich Competition.

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PIA GAZAREK OFFERMANN

PIA GAZAREK OFFERMANN

Classical Guitar Magazine London 2009: “ … she is truly outstanding. Listening to this exquisite playing, you understand who Pia Gazarek- Offermann is. She has a great sensibility in her phrasing and she has her own special sound, extremely pure. This helps her to convey to the listener a world of inner poetry … “

The guitarist Pia Gazarek-Offermann began playing the violin at the age of four. Her music education was at the Spezialschule für Musik in Wernigerode. She then studied classical guitar with Prof. Thomas Offermann and Jens Wagner at several Musikhochschulen in Berlin, Weimar and Bremen.

In addition to her guitar studies she was a member of the internationally renowned Youth Radio Choir of Wernigerode and the international prize-winning Vocal Consort Weimar. Her musical and artistic formation continued to include Masterclasses with Roberto Aussel, David Russell and Hopkinson Smith and many others.

In 1994 she was the prize-winner at the International Classical Guitar Competition in Cracow, Poland.

Pia Gazarek-Offermann has given concerts in several European countries as well as in Asia and North America. She currently teaches in Berlin and is active as a jurist and teacher at several international competitions and festivals.

From the Press:

„ … Exceedingly demanding, the music shone scrupulously on key and was full of such splendid finesse that the audience didn’t know whether it was coming or going…

…With hard glissandi and rapid runs Pia Gazarek-Offermann seemed to want to beat the truth out of her guitar… she conjured a cornucopia of atmospheric pictures – intoxicating…
(Bonner Rundschau)

Lost Symphony

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:43:04 +0000

Does the Lost Symphony represent the a revival of classical music or the bitter end?

From: http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lost_Symphony

The Lost Symphony is a symphonic work for orchestra composed by Michael Giacchino which incorporates passages and themes from the musical score of Lost. Unlike the scaled-down orchestra that is used on the show, the symphony is arranged for a full orchestra, comprising more than 70 musicians. The character themes are slightly modified, and some of the musical pieces have been expanded from how they appear on the show.

So there you go, yet another popular hit due to its pop-culture connection. But wait! Has this kind of feeding frenzy happened in other centuries? Is it that much different than the second movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 85, “La Reine” being a set of variations on the old French folk-song ‘La gentille et jeune Lisette’? Or what about Billy the Kid the 1938 ballet written by the American composer Aaron Copland? Along with Rodeo and Appalachian Spring, it is one of Copland’s most popular and widely performed pieces. The ballet is most famous for its incorporation of many cowboy tunes and American folk songs.

In the end only time will tell us the strength of the symphonic art. If anyone listens to this symphony in 20 years, long after the tv show is forgotten, then I’ll call it valid.

What do you think?

Review: The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:02:27 +0000

The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher (Paperback)
by Marienne Uszler (Author); Also: Stewart Gordon (Author), Scott McBride-Smith (Author)

This is by far the most comprehensive and thorough book on teaching music. It will be of huge interest to non-pianists as well. The book covers six main sections: The Beginning Student, The Intermediate Student, The Advanced student, The Professional Keyboard Teacher, The Well-Informed Keyboard Teacher, Historical Overview of Keyboard Pedagogy.

Topics include everything for practical teaching to the business of music. It’s a standard in teacher training in the USA and Canada.

Don’t be timid over the price, as University students know, REAL textbooks cost but are worth it. After all, it’s your career and you’ll make more money if you’re a better teacher.

Editorial Reviews

From: Amazon.com

Product Description

This second edition of the best-selling piano pedagogy book provides future piano and keyboard teachers with the essential tools to meet the challenges the next century. Fundamental to every keyboard teacher, the text examines current learning theories, offers a historical overview of keyboard pedagogy, reviews educational materials, and describes specific teaching techniques. It also discusses specific repertoire and technique for beginning, intermediate, and adult students.