Chopin self-portrait (by Sergio Albiac)
Experimental draft for “Great composers self portraits” series
Generative collage using bits and pieces of his music
This week I have mostly been listening to Chopin and Rage Against the Machine.
Frédéric Chopin, Valse in C# minor (op. 64-2), performed by Valentina Igoshina.
planetveil replied to your post: planetveil replied to your audio post: Frédéric…
Lack of popularity? Well aren’t you quite the optimist ;) This is beautiful Alfoxus. You know I’ve only recently begun listening to classical, Beethoven my gateway drug. So I will be looking to you for some great suggestions. No pressure :)
Beethoven was my gateway drug too funnily enough. The Moonlight Sonata was the first classical piece I remember liking (particularly 1st and 3rd movs). I’ve always had a slightly weird relationship with classical music as a result of having formal piano lessons as a kid and being made to practice pieces I didn’t like. But now that I’m writing my own music I’m on the lookout for inspiration wherever I can find it!
As for some suggestions…
- Chopin’s nocturnes (particularly Op 48 No 1 and Op 55 No 1)
- Lizst - Hungarian Rhapsody No 2
- Prokofiev - Lieutenant Kijé
- Shostakovich - 5th Symphony
- Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G minor op. 23.
- Philip Glass - Einstein on the Beach
So Russians and Romantics basically (if you discount Glass).
Hope that helps :)
Frédéric Chopin - Étude Op 10 No 9 (performed by Valentina Lisitsa)
So moody and lyrical, love it.
Chopin - Nocturne 19 in E minor, op. 72, no. 1.
Great performance by Vladimir Ashkenazy. Freddy’s use of rubato is part of why I love him so much, but it does result in a lot of awkward performances by musicians who apparently can’t be trusted with that sort of freedom. Took me a while sifting through those to find this one.
Why y’all gotta be speeding up so much guys? And always in the most inappropriate places too.
