An essential package, containing as it does the two most indispensable masterpieces of the ... more
entire Spanish piano music repertoire, in performances which have long (and justly) been regarded as classics. The twelve "impressions" that comprise Iberia occupied Isaac Albčniz for the last four years of his life (he completed the fourth and final set of three in January 1909). They form an exuberant, sun-drenched sequence, astoundingly virtuosic (Albčniz was himself a renowned pianist) and brimful with toe- tapping rhythmic verve and irresistible local colour. In his gorgeous Goyescas (premiered in 1911, two years after Albčniz's death) Enrique Granados explores a more harmonically searching, wistfully introspective vein: the heavenly "Maiden and the Nightingale" (based on a folk melody) is deservedly one of the most popular of all 20th-century piano gems.The great Barcelona-born pianist Alicia de Larrocha has been playing this music all her life and it shows time and again in the improvisatory imagination, pellucid tone-colouring and glitteringly idiomatic flavour of her intensely poetic and technically commanding readings. The remastered mid-70s recordings have come up as clean as a whistle, with all the heady bloom and admirable focus of the excellent original masters retained. Terrific value. --Andrew Achenbach
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An essential package, containing as it does the two most indispensable masterpieces of the ... more
entire Spanish piano music repertoire, in performances which have long (and justly) been regarded as classics. The twelve "impressions" that compriseIberiaoccupied Isaac Albčniz for the last four years of his life (he completed the fourth and final set of three in January 1909). They form an exuberant, sun-drenched sequence, astoundingly virtuosic (Albčniz was himself a renowned pianist) and brimful with toe- tapping rhythmic verve and irresistible local colour. In his gorgeousGoyescas(premiered in 1911, two years after Albčniz's death) Enrique Granados explores a more harmonically searching, wistfully introspective vein: the heavenly "Maiden and the Nightingale" (based on a folk melody) is deservedly one of the most popular of all 20th-century piano gems.The great Barcelona-born pianist Alicia de Larrocha has been playing this music all her life and it shows time and again in the improvisatory imagination, pellucid tone-colouring and glitteringly idiomatic flavour of her intensely poetic and technically commanding readings. The remastered mid-70s recordings have come up as clean as a whistle, with all the heady bloom and admirable focus of the excellent original masters retained. Terrific value.--Andrew Achenbach
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Advantages: Excellent selection and performance of piano works by Frank Bridge Disadvantages: A few pieces are not very interesting
make these pieces conjure up the pictures of the titles.
There are a few other pieces on the CD which I find rather uninteresting, but these are a small minority.
The CD ends with the Four Vignettes de Marseille. These are reminiscent of the Spanish pieces of Debussy and Ravel. Perhaps even more, they recall Iberia for piano by the Spanish composer Albeniz. They are full of Spanish melodies and Spanish atmosphere (even though Marseille is actually in France). These pieces are shorter and more varied than Iberia, and more readily appreciated than some of the Spanish pieces by Debussy. Jacobs brings these pieces to life.
Overall an excellent CD providing an opportunity to enjoy a wide range of worthwhile works for which very few recordings are available. I would recommend it to any listener interested in this type of music ...
Advantages: Excellent physcological study of character. Disadvantages: Grim, brutal, shocking scenes of a sexual nature.
the piano with excellence is evident, and although she trains them to this stage of perfection, she becomes jealous of their hard earned achievement when they have reached their pinnacle. Erica is highly strung and sexually charged, and she is also a bitter and vindictive individual. One day she meets a promising young male pianist at a recital, by the name of Walter (Magimel Kramer). Walter is a handsome,arrogant, and self confident young man, and there is an instantaneous strong mutual bond, a meeting of minds, and a deep physical attraction, and she sees something in him that she seems to have been searching for. They talk and discover they both share the love of the works of Schumann and Schubert. This is a further attraction for Erica, and an unhealthy obsession towards him begins to take shape in her mind. ~
Erica teaches ...
Morning_Becomes_Electra 20.01.2008 (25.01.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Piano Teacher
Advantages: interesting story, excellent acting, Disadvantages: expected more
I went into this movie knowing about the oscars it had won and having been recommended by several friends, I expected something good.
As a fan of period films, this movie is set in the 1850's, New Zealand. Ada (Holly Hunter) is a mute who with her young daughter Flora(Ann Paquin) braves the dangerous journey across the world. We see the movie start with them landing with all their belongings, including the priceless piano. Life begins in the leafy forest with her new Husband, Stewart (Sam Neill). Life is not what she expected in this remote area. Things take a turn for the worse when her new Husband sells her piano a neighbour, George (Harvey Keitel). George however, tells Ada she may earn back her piano by giving him piano lessons. Through the lessons, we see a turbulant but intreging relationship form.
This movie wasn't what I ...
rafomania 16.11.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Piano (DVD)
1. Book 1 - Evocación 2. El puerto 3. El Corpus en Sevilla 4. Book 2 - Rondena 5. Almería 6. Triana 7. Book 3 - El Albaicín 8. El polo 9. Lavapičs 10. Book 4 - Málaga 11. Jérez 12. Eritana
Composer
Isaac (Manuel Francisco) Albéniz (1860 - 1909)
Genre
Instrumental
Date Written
Published 1909
Main Performer
Rafael Orozco (Piano)
Opera Part(s)
Rafael Orozco
Location of Work Recording
All Saints Church,London
Work 2
Work Title
Cantos de Espana, Op. 232
Excerpt(s)
1. Preludio (Asturias) 2. Oriental 3. Bajo la palmera 4. Córdoba 5. Seguidillas
![Iberia - Works for Piano [French Import] - Albeniz/Debussy](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/90005008.jpg "Iberia - Works for Piano [French Import] - Albeniz/Debussy")
