Beethoven’s late period works never get old for me. The Op. 111 sonata, the Ninth Symphony, the Grosse Fuge…it’s a nonstop journey of dramatic intensity, revelations, deep introspection, and reassurance in the face of chaos. My first listening sessions of the late piano sonatas and late quartets in middle school remain some of my most... Continue Reading →
Federico Mompou (1893-1987) was an exceptionally reclusive composer with an output of exceptionally introspective music. Though influenced by Chopin, his miniatures bear an unmistakable personal stamp and Spanish style. He frequently employed sounds of his native Barcelona: church bells tolling and gulls crying. I’ve played my way through much of Mompou’s piano music and encountered,... Continue Reading →
I view Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915) as one of the true successors to Chopin as a composer of preludes, as he emulated both the brevity and poetry of those works. Despite having written eighty-three individual preludes, he gets less recognition than Chopin or even Rachmaninoff. Granted, some of these pieces are quite brief, and are dispersed... Continue Reading →
