Greetings all, I am back from Dallas. And do you know the first thing we did after we came back? That's right -- we got a real piano. It was very cheap because we got it from an estate sale (in fact, moving the piano cost the same as the piano itself). It is a Baldwin Howard from the 40s, in pretty good condition (only a few keys are off tune). It is not my dream piano, but it is still VERY good.
Before a few days ago, I always played on a good electric Roland, and I still plan to use it when I need to play piano outside of my house. But this piano is real, and it feels real. One of the only problems is that it is hard to do trills on the Baldwin because the keys do not spring back up fast enough. But, that's ok.
I apologize in advance for not posting anything in the next few days. I will be seeing my brother off at Dallas, so I won't be able to post anything. Sorry!
Chopin's Etudes are extraordinarily difficult pieces. They require not only meticulous technique, but also patience and emotion. Did you know that originally etudes were pieces composed solely for the purpose to practice technique? That's right. They practically weren't even pieces, but rather exercises. Chopin made them become the magnificent pieces that they are. Here are my favorite etudes (all performed by Kissin, since he's probably my favorite pianist when it comes to technical and difficult pieces):
I love the beginning of this piece. The theme reappears again, and I find the contrast almost comical.
I already posted this piece earlier. It is amazing, and though perhaps easier than some other etudes, it is still extremely difficult.
This is Chopin's favorite etude. It is nicknamed "Tristesse" because of the sad and solemn melodies.
I learned this waltz mostly on my own (it wasn't assigned to me by my piano teacher). I play it often at my cafe performances.
I actually don't like Kissin's interpretation of some parts of this piece (a little too dry in the beginning, in my opinion). I really like his interpretation of the B major section, though.
They are affordable, effective, and fun. My current student, 8-year-old Ivan, has progressed from not knowing any notes to playing a theme from Pirates of the Caribbean using both hands. He also knows Ode to Joy (also both hands), and a other pieces as well. All in a matter of a few months!
Both he and his parents love the lessons, and have been coming weekly.
About pricing -- I prefer not to disclose exact rates to the general public, but I will note that they are MUCH cheaper than all the other music instruction institutions that I know of in Fort Collins. Contact me at d.t.bolsh@gmail.com if you're interested.
Being a teenager, I do not have a college music performance or teaching diploma. My resume, however, is still formidable:
I passed with merit Level 5 of ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), an international and prestigious examination (the certificate is signed by the prince of Wales), only three points away from passing with distinction.
I passed the Level 5 theory exam of ABRSM.
I passed Level 6 of ABRSM, only three points away from passing with merit.
I have experience teaching.
I have experience playing piano for extended intervals publicly.
I can play complex pieces, such as Beethoven's Tempest Sonata (1st movement), and am learning another very difficult piece that I am keeping secret until I can play it well.
So, if you live near or in Fort Collins, and you want to learn how to play piano, please consider taking lessons from me.
Of course, there is no official international ranking of musicians. There are competitions, but even those are annual, and are focused on a narrow portion of music. There are very good pianists, for example, that are internationally recognized, but there is practically no way to rank them other than by pure speculation. And I think that there is nothing wrong with this. For if there was a best pianist, a best cellist, etc. we would stop exploring music, and fix our attention on those performers.
Now, I proceed to offer my opinion on who the best cellist is. I know that this primarily a blog about piano, but I think that a little diversity will do no harm.
This cellist was performing for presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy at the age of seven. He helped write and perform the music for The Incredibles. His expression and technique is so pure that many people think his cello magical (though a Stradivarius, the cellist playing has to be extremely good to coax magical qualities from it). Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for Yo Yo Ma!
Ma's repertoire is extremely diverse, ranging from Bach cello suites to Tango to Jazz to movie soundtracks. The following video is ONE of my favorites of Ma. I simply cannot put all my favorites into one blog post.
I like music. However, I like some music more than other. My favorite eras of music were the romantic and the impressionist ones; out of which Chopin and Debussy are my favorite composers (well, there is also Mendelssohn). What are your favorite genres of Classical Music?
I now proceed to post my favorite interpretation of perhaps the most famous Chopin piece: that of Yundi Li.
I have a funny story to tell about this lovely piece.
When I was little, my mom, being an interior designer, would remodel our home to be more beautiful and functional. Thus, we often had contractors work on our home. One day, they were in the basement, and I was practicing upstairs on our digital piano. This piano had a lot of built-in demos. They were full pieces, and the pieces were amazing. Fantasie Impromptu was one of these.
Fantasie was my favorite demo to listen to: it represented the difficult and impressive qualities of music that are speed and expression. So, I would often listen to it. When I had finished playing some song at the time, I turned the demo on and left to go do something else.
The contractors were stunned. When my mom came home that day, she was told that I am a child prodigy and that I should be playing in concert halls. Mom, in a confused manner, asked what this was all about (I was good for my age, but not even close to THIS good. I still haven't learned this piece). When they explained, she told them what really was going on.
There is nothing especially meaningful to this story, I just find it funny that the contractors actually believed that I was playing this song. I wish.
Just wanted to mention that if you do not have a good piano where you live, there are practice rooms at CSU which are open to the general public. I myself go there daily, since my dog likes to "sing" when I play at home (though cute, it gets distracting). I sometimes teach my lessons there as well.
Most of the rooms have good Boston uprights, but some of the rooms have grands, and one even has two baby grands (I think that there is a room with harps as well). Today I went there with my student. He has a strange luck-- whenever I go alone to practice, the room with two grands is always locked (because it's for piano performance majors only), but both times that I went there with Ivan, the room was open. Lucky!
The address of the building I go to is 1400 Remington Street (it's right across from the flower trial gardens). I think that there are practice rooms in some other buildings of CSU as well.
Ahh yes -- The Piano Guys. My family used to love them. I mean -- the music was unique, beautiful and interesting. The themes that the musicians would play would influence how the awesome videos were made. Our favorites are Bourne Vivaldi, Moonlight and O Fortuna Burana, which all still sound as amazing as the first time we heard them.
However, now, it seems like the Piano Guys are forgoing musical intuition and rather focusing on trying to expand their cultural horizons. The music somehow lost its uniqueness, at least in my opinion. It no longer moves the inner fibers of ones heart. Literally, one would feel his heartbeat accelerate while watching and listening to O Fortuna Burana. Now, one finds himself constantly checking how much time there is left in the video.
If you absolutely love the Piano Guys as the are right now, please do not be insulted by this post. I was just posting my opinion on the music of the piano/cello duo, music which I find was better in the past.
Here is the link to the Piano Guys Youtube channel: The Piano Guys Channel.
However, if this is your first time listening to the Piano Guys, I recommend listening to one of their older videos first. :)
I like this interpretation of this grandiose etude. The passion and rubato at the transition to F minor captivates the listener, and the transition to a major key around 2:05 is truly amazing. I really like the piece itself, as well. What are your thoughts?
I am Dennis Bolshakov, and I offer very affordable piano entertainment and education services in Fort Collins. I have been playing piano since I was six, and already have experience teaching and playing background music in a cafe. If you're interested, please contact me on my page on Facebook (it has the same title as this blog).
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