Home Music Lane

It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.

I'm going to see "Local Yokels" tomorrow

Yakov Kasman was Silver Medalist at the 10th Van Cliburn competition in 1997. But this is about his daughter Aleksandra (Sasha) more than him.

I first heard Sasha play more than a decade ago, solo pieces and two-piano pieces with her father. She was just entering her teens at that time. Today, having studied under her father for a lifetime (but with additional studies under a long list of noted pedagogues), she is quite accomplished, entering Julliard. It's really interesting to watch an artist grow and develop over the years. You see it first hand much more than I do, Chris.

A friend of mine has a "music room" outfitted with 2 Steinway pianos that seats around 30-40 comfortably in easy chairs and sofas. He and his wife host 3-6 chamber music recitals throughout the year. No charge, of course. Everyone brings finger food and appetizers for the reception after the recital. The artists have separate quarters if they want to stay overnight. Just like the old band days, they receive only what guests drop in the basket at the door.

Sasha's program includes Prokofiev's Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Myaskovsky's 2nd piano sonata, Beethoven's A major sonata (101), and in duet with her father Yakov, his two-piano reduction of the first movement of Brahms' 2nd piano concerto.

I'm particularly eager to her her play the Myaskovsky piece. This is a very challenging work of shifting chromaticism. The dedicatee struggled with it for a very long time and was a flop in the premier. Prokofiev tried to console him, remarking how difficult the piece was. Prokofiev himself, no slouch at the keyboard, apparently was a bit more successful with it. I've heard several recordings, but never heard it live, because it is a daunting 12 minutes of music.

If you aren't familiar with it, here is a recording of Sherbakov playing it. You will hear some "familiar" melodies embedded in the Myaskovsky piece. (The YouTube "embed" code doesn't seem to actually insert the video, so I guess you'll just have ti click the link,)






View YouTube Video

"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)



Edits: 05/20/17

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