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Thursday, April 23, 2015

Blind Test: Can You Recognize the Sound of a Stradivarius?


By Daniel Ross, ClassicFM London
Just how good does a Stradivarius sound, and could you pick one out in a blind test? The Strad magazine staged one to find out.
image: http://assets7.classicfm.com/2010/04/stradivarius-violin-1264422192-article-0.jpg
Stradivarius violin
Earlier this month, The Strad magazine got the leader of the London Symphony Orchestra to play six different violins in a blind test - one of them being a legendary Stradivarius model from 1709.

Listen to the test below and see if you can work out which violin is the Stradivarius - you might be surprised…
The other violins that you can hear are an 1850 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, a 1923 Giuseppe Fiorini, a modern Del Gesù copy, a Mirecourt French trade violin from around 1900 and an 1835 A.S.P. Bernardel.

Visit The Strad's feature on the experiment to find out more about what happened.
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The magic of the Stradivarius: the most beautiful violins in the world

Take a look at some of the best and most beautiful violins in the world, made by Antonio Stradivari and his family, with photos from the Ashmolean museum's latest exhibition
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Der Vogelhändler (Medley); Carl Zeller (1842-1898)

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Friday, April 17, 2015

Eleven Steps to Playing a Rachmaninov Concerto - like a boss

By Kyle Macdonald, ClassicFM London


At Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall, we spent the day with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, a pianist who can effortlessly despatch the trickiest of concertos. His amazingness has inspired us to think about, and crack the art of, the Rach.

Rachmaninov boss
Powering your way through Rachmaninov's third piano concerto, or belting out his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, is no mean feat. Of course, we know you're awesome and will be fully prepared when the orchestra starts tuning up, but here are a few tips just in case. (We had the amazing Jean-Efflam Bavouzet to help with some of these tips.)

1. Choose your piece

Choose from four piano concertos, and a set of Paganini variations. Nail your piece, and you'll be playing it all your life, so choose carefully. (And no, you can't have them all. You're not Earl Wilde.)

2. Get into the piano

Literally. The best pianistic publicity photos always involve the pianist under the bonnet of one of their beloved machines. Here's our star, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, to model the look.

3. Flowing hair

Is it a fortissimo coda, or is it a shampoo commercial? That's the kind of question you really need to think about. (The answer is both, by the way.)

4. Hands I

Rachmaninov's piano writing is famously full of big intervals – 10ths are not uncommon. The odd 11th too. (Eek.)

5. Hands II

Because it's important. The handily well-endowed Jean-Efflam Bavouzet explains more.

6. Hands III

Those Rachmaninov chords can be tough to reach. Here's an expert explanation (and solution).

7. Hands IV

Clearly we've been heavily implying that size matters. But you may be comforted to know there are many great Rachmaninov pianists who had more modest spans. (Click for a closer look.)
pianist hand span infographic

 

 

 

 






 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Practice

Even before the rehearsals begin, you've got to be laying down your lines. Do it and you're well on your way to amazing. Here's the proof:

9. Choose an amazing orchestra

If you're going to smash out a concerto, make sure you have some of the best strings, woodwind and brass behind you to egg you on. In the '80s, Ashkenazy had the LSO; in the noughties, Hough had the Dallas Symphony. Tonight at Classic FM Live, Jean-Efflam has the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra – and they're more than up for it.
image: http://assets.classicfm.com/2015/15/jean-efflam-bavouzet-classic-fm-live-2015-performance-1429043595.jpg
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Classic FM Live 2015

10. Don't be freaked out by the score

It may look formidable, but if you master them they will become your friends. What's so scary about mega-fast triplets over quavers anyway?

11. And just go for it

Cracked it, smashed it. Take that, Rachmaninov.
(C) 2015 by Classic FM London
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Thursday, April 2, 2015

Antonin Dvorak - "New World" Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 Allegro c...

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Which Classical Piece Are You?

By Elizabeth Davis, ClassicFM London
Are you more like a Romantic piano concerto or a piece of ethereal Renaissance polyphony? We've put together this quiz to find out…

conductor quiz
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Sunday, March 29, 2015

Serge Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto no.2 op.18 - Anna Fedorova - Complete Live Co...

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Friday, March 20, 2015

Classical Music Slowed Down 10x Sounds Absolutely Magical

By Daniel Ross, 17th March 2015, 17:09
We've taken some famous bits of classical music and slowed them down to 10 times slower than their normal speed. They sound truly wonderful and epic.

Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture

Cannon-fire in slow motion is just about the biggest sound we can possibly imagine. If you thought Tchaikovsky's 1812 wasn't epic enough, then you're in for a gargantuan treat.

Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21

In its normal guise, this is a dainty, almost silly-sounding melody. Slowed down, it's the soundtrack to a chill-out room at a student party circa 1998.

Beethoven - Waldstein Sonata

This restless, agitated piano stalwart is turned into a blissful wash of left-hand piano fudge, with the odd bit of ethereal tinkling over the top.

Bach - Cello Suite No. 1

Unaccompanied cello never sounded so meaty as this. Bach's iconic solo classic is now an achingly slow broken chord.

Elgar - Cello Concerto

Who would've thought Elgar would sound like the opening to a Godspeed You Black Emperor album? Not us. It was moody before, but this is properly dark, gripping stuff.

Williams - Star Wars

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away just became a whole lot longer. If you can imagine the majesty of Williams' most famous theme without being slowed down, you need to hear this.
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Mike Hardy3 days ago
I never hear canons fire in the slowed down version of the 1812!!! Maybe ear wax issue!

Others ok but nothing great
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