Earlier on I highlighted Christian Vander’s Magma here on my website. I thought it would be nice to share another fine example of the band’s exceptional energy. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and highly admired the music of Magma since my high school days. Christian Vander’s music, mostly created in the 1970’s, sounds unique and timeless. For those unfamiliar with the band, watch this powerful performance of ‘Zombies’ – recorded in 2005 – and you’ll probably grasp what’s so special about Magma.
Author Archives: Pieter de Rooij
Cesaria Evora, queen of the morna, passed away
Gluck’s ‘Dance of the Blessed Spirits’ in a mesmerising choreography of Pina Bausch
This performance – at the Palais Garnier in Paris in 2008 – of the ‘Dance of the Blessed Spirits’, from Christoph Willibald Gluck’s opera ‘Orfeo ed Euridice’ (1762), is of an immense, mesmerising beauty. It’s from the famous production of world renowned German choreographer Pina Bausch (1940-2009), with excellent musical support of The Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble, conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock.
Valentina Lisitsa’s new release: Chopin-recital (CD+DVD)
Ordered at Amazon a few days ago and now already playing here in Amsterdam: Valentina’s Chopin-recital (released on 28 November 2011).
Great! 🙂
When things need a bit longer : John Cage’s Organ²/ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible)
Take it easy, relax and take your time, for instance to enjoy “Organ²/ASLSP(As SLow aS Possible)”, the slowest and longest piece ever, by the late John Cage. The performance started in 2001, but if you only join in now, don’t worry, you haven’t missed much. How come? Well, performing the piece will only take 639 years, it’s nowhere near of a start yet, you’ve just missed 10 years at most. The playing, done by a Church Organ in Halberstadt-Germany, joyfully started on September 5th, 2001 and – if it doesn’t get too tired of this – is scheduled to end in the year 2640. Click here to hear the current sound!
The piece’s 11th Klangwechsel on August 5th, 2011
From a different angle once more the 11th Klangwechsel, in a 4’33” length video 🙂
The board chairman of the John Cage Organ Foundation in Halberstadt and involved in this project, Rainer Neugebauer, says that the performance is a rebuke of hectic modern life: “Everything does not need to happen so fast. If something needs a bit longer then it can give us an inner calm that is rare in normal life.”
Oh yes, that makes sense, but I also think ‘our normal lives’ could do with ‘a bit longer’, as they run out of time so fast. 🙂
In the footsteps of Kumar Gandharva – ragasinger Pushkar Lele tours Holland & Belgium
A not to be missed concert tour of young ragasinger Pushkar Lele in The Netherlands and Belgium from 30 November to 6 December 2011. Pushkar Lele sings in the North Indian hindusthani tradition. Natural curiosity led him to follow in the footsteps of that great innovator of Indian vocal music, Kumar Gandharva. No imitator, however, he performs his own interpretations of ragas and bhajan poetry. Pushkar Lele’s vocal art will be accompanied by Sanjay Deshpande on tabla and Suyog Kundalkar on harmonium.
Tour schedule:
Antwerpen – Zuiderpershuis 30 nov. 20:30
Utrecht – Rasa 1 dec. 20:30
Amsterdam – Tropentheater 2 dec. 20:00
Den Haag – Regentes – 4 dec. 03:00 PM
Maasmechelen – Schouwburg Cultureel Centrum – 6 dec. 20:15
From SD to HD: facelift for a Valentina Lisitsa promo video
My video Valentina Lisitsa: a somehow impossible combination of Backhaus and Argerich, published in March 2010 – and having more than 47.000 views on 13 November 2011, when this message was published – deserved a remake, a promotion from SD to HD.
Here’s the ‘makeover’, published on YouTube on 12 November 2011. Play the clip in 1080p to see the best result in High Definition.
Beautiful singing by Kareyce Fotso from Cameroon
Kareyce Fotso is an awesome singer from Cameroon. Here’s some of her great concert at the Hertme Festival 2011 in The Netherlands. Judge for yourself.
Debussy’s orchestral glimmer of colours and light in the Faun-prelude beautifully catched on piano
Debussy – Prélude à l’aprés-midi d’un faune from Kunstderfug on Vimeo.
Here’s a beautiful piano-transcription of one of the most beautiful orchestral works in western classical music. The piece’s glimmer of colours and light is beautifully retained in this transcription and performance. For good pianists this arrangement must be (or perhaps has been already) a delightful challenge.
Valentina Lisitsa plays in Delft and Haarlem (The Netherlands) in January 2012
Good news for classical piano fans in The Netherlands. Valentina Lisitsa will play at least two recitals on dutch soil in January 2012:
on 22 January in Delft in theatre De Veste and on 27 January in the Philharmonie in Haarlem.
Valentina Lisitsa in London, April 2009 (photo by Pieter de Rooij)