Lava heart of dances

I don't know why, but posting this first Bach Cello suite today seemed like the perfect thing to do. Suites were born in early baroque period as sequences of dances played in courts. Then, they slowly moved to an independent purely musical form. I am sure, however, you can still feel the vibes of its lava heart of dances.

House Music

This trio is one of Mendelssohn's most renown Chamber Music pieces. Last night we participated in a wonderful House Music party, and this was one of the few scores we had. It is not so easy to read at first-sight, so, despite the musicians doing a great job, I feel we now have the duty to get to know it PROPERLY :-) I chose this version because these three fathers of Classical Music recorded in such an informal way that it fits perfectly!

Second Movement
Third Movement
Finale (sorry, I had to borrow it from other performers cuz of lack of material on the web :-S)

Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso

Cherubino is the Count's page, and he has an "over-infatuation problem" with all women. He gets discovered in amorous attitudes with too many women at court, and as a punishment, the Count sends him on army duty to Seville. In this aria, Figaro (the Count's valet) mocks him about how his new "womenless" life:

"You won't go any more, amorous butterfly

Fluttering around night and day

Disturbing the sleep of beauties

Little Narcissus and Adonis of love"

Debut!

This is the debut concert of a lovely mezzo-soprano from Sibelius Academy: Melis Jaatinen. Only students who graduate with honor can possibly access the chance to perform this kind of concert, and if they do, they will do the planning of the repertoire and the overall coordination themselves. I chose this performance also because, Kiki, if you go to 01.02.05, you'll see a familiar face :-)

Ensikonsertti, Melis Jaatinen

Phantasy!

So Kiki, this is the Fantasia Corale that I was speaking to you about. Beethoven used it as a laboratory for the super-famous "Ode to joy" (4th movement of 9th Symphony): can you recognize the seed of the theme? :-)

3rd and 4th movements

5th and 6th movements

Playful and funny, sympathetic and moody

On Thursday I went to a concert, and this trio was played. It is actually one of the first important chamber music pieces I faced as a cellist. Beethoven composed it just before beginning his string quartet repertoire, and I think he thought of each instrument as a human character, making their interactions at times playful and funny, at times sympathetic and moody. Many say that it doesn't sound like Beethoven at all...with which authority I don't really know :-)

II Movement

III Movement

Dedicated to Avital

I was in Israel last week, in the backstage of a violin and piano concert (Valeryi Sokolov and Evengy Izotov) during the intermission, and my friend Avital mentioned to the musicians that she loves this piece. As a personal gift, Valeryi started playing the first movement for her. You'll probably recognize it, as it was recently brought to the big audience by the movie "The Concert". Here is one of the versions that I prefer, starring Ivry Gitlis.

Second Part

Third Part

Fourth Part