in A major, op. 40 no.1 (Polonaise Militaire) by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Chopin is a sublime composer and I've always loved his music. There's one particular composition, however, that I never warmed up to. In fact, I could almost say that I loathe it.
This is the Polonaise in A major, the infamous Military Polonaise.
Perhaps I dislike it because it is mercilessly over-played. It's been a concert stage warhorse forever.
The endless repeats in the piece make it seem eternal. You keep hoping it will eventually end, but it doesn't.
The piece is brazenly loud....and only gets louder. Forte inevitably crescendos to Triple Forte, without mercy.
I have dared pianists to incorporate a pianissimo into this piece and it's a complete impossibility.
Reasons that I like it: It's fun to play. Lot's of unabashed piano-pounding. The thing is, the pianist has to have stamina and it helps to have large hands. My hands are large. I can span an eleventh with my right hand - - and a twelfth with my left. That's very impressive.
My YouTube video of this piece leaves a lot to be desired. It's merely a "practice" video - - recorded while I was practicing, not performing.
It was recorded in Texas on a summer day that was nearly 110 degrees (Fahrenheit).
If nothing else, I should get kudos for successfully turning the pages.....
It's no secret that I sometimes post videos of my piano music in order to astound and enthrall you (he says with sarcasm).
Here is my latest YouTube video. I usually post my piano recordingson SoundCloud, because it's a much easier process. Making a video for my music is always a big pain in the ass. I had to tax my creative abilities for this video. What the heck kind of visuals can I use for Chopin's Revolutionary Etude??
After much thought and deep pondering, I decided to enhance the music with clouds. Don't ask Why?, because I have no plausible explanation. Perhaps because they look dramatic.
This is Frederic Chopin's (famous) etude for piano in C minor, op.10 no.12 known as the Revolutionary Etude.
Chopin wrote it in 1831 when he was about twenty. It was inspired by the1831 Russian attack on Warsaw.
When I was a music student in Los Angeles I performed nearly all of Chopin's 24 piano etudes and recorded several of them.
Unfortunately, this performance of the C minor etude is the only one of my Chopin etude recordings that has survived.
I seldom write about my musical past. It lingers on the misty edge of a distance that no longer seems real. It is impossible to ever fully recapture those times, and - to be truthful - it's heartbreaking for me to remember what was....
...my youth in California when I was inspired, exuberant, energetic, optimistic. To say that I was a professional musician is no exaggeration. Despite my reckless, shiftless Hollywood years, I also managed to (later) go to college and study with some of the finest teachers in the country. I composed, conducted, worked as an accompanist, and gave solo concerts. I also performed with numerous orchestras.
After I left California at the age of 34 (for too many reasons to go into) I embarked on a life far removed from any semblance of excitement, fulfillment, glamor, or inspiration. I lived in the Missouri Ozarks, West Texas, and now Tennessee. During this time I encountered more problems, obstacles, and incredibly bad luck than I'd care to remember - which eventually expunged my heart and soul. I was rendered nothing more than a bitter, cold relic - a pale shadow of my former self.
Despite everything, I still had my music and my memories to hang onto. When I moved to Tennessee, however, the movers lost all of my diaries, journals and mementos. They also lost many of my California photos and more than half of my music manuscripts. That's when I finally completely gave up. My past was rudely severed forever.
During my active years as a musician, I made over 300 piano recordings (all are catalogued). Many of them were lost, but - fortunately - I still have some of my ancient, original cassette tapes.
The other night I started listening to some of the tapes, and somehow my spirit was rejuvenated. They are completely unedited, crude, and in mono - but at least they retain glimpses and glimmers of my musical past.
I'm presently in the process of transferring (some of) these tapes from cassette to 3MP files - via Audacity.
Last night I made two of these files into videos for YouTube. The videos themselves aren't very good, and the audio is extremely poor - but at least it gives an idea of my former piano virtuosity. These piano tapes were both recorded in Los Angeles when I was in my very early 20's.
