Piano

[pauraque_bk]

JS Bach : Unaccompanied cello suite in G (transcribed for piano by me)

West Wing fen should recognize this. I was playing from memory; forgive any errors.


Gabriel Fauré : Pavane (transcribed for piano by me)

tangledaria wanted to hear this, so I've been arranging it. It's been arranged in many different ways, and I'm actually not sure what instrument(s) it was originally for. I'm working from a flute concerto version. This is just the first bit, to show I know the piece you meant.

I distinctly remember the first time I heard this piece. I'd stayed late after work to do some pricing and shelving I didn't want to leave over the weekend, and had the classical radio station on. A guitar arrangement of this piece came on, and I was instantly mesmerized; compelled to listen, I completely forgot where I was and what I was doing. Fauré is one of those composers who just gets me in that way. Few have achieved such depth with such simplicity.


Maurice Ravel : Belle's theme from Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête

"Quand je pense à votre bon coeur, vous ne me paraissez pas si laid." -- "Oh! dame oui! j'ai le coeur bon, mais je suis un monstre." -- "Il y a bien des hommes qui sont plus monstres que vous." -- "Si j'avais de l'esprit je vous ferais un grand compliment pour vous remercier, mais je suis qu'une bête."

"When I think on your good heart, you don't seem so ugly to me." -- "Oh! lady, yes! I have a good heart, but I am a monster." -- "There are certainly men more monstrous than you." -- "If I had such a mind as yours, I'd make you a great compliment in gratitude, but I am nothing but a beast."
(my translation)

Comments

[chelsea-energy.livejournal.com]

I adore the Cello Suite in G. It's gorgeous. Not as good as Yo Yo Ma, but I'll forgive you because I'm a little biased there. ;)

[pauraque]

Yo Yo Ma rules. *smile*

[tangledaria.livejournal.com]

Oh oh! Your 'Pavane' is so beautiful! I always thought that the melody was the most haunting part - the voices, the gliding, the whispering. But you manage to do so well without a chorus, so simple and yet it still manages to capture the same feelings. So pretty!

[pauraque]

Thank you.

[pauraque]

Also, I knew it was you who asked about it, not Teka. Just transposed the names in my head. Yeah... brain not exactly functioning.

[flimpy.livejournal.com]

These are wonderful interpretations; I could listen to you play all day.

[pauraque]

If I did come over, I'm sure I would... I can't be in the same room as a piano without going for it, as my friends can attest.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

I haven't heard "Pavane" in a good long time. It is the kind of music that makes you stop in your tracks. It's even more touching on a solo piano. Many thanks for posting these...

[pauraque]

You're welcome, and thanks.

[chresimos.livejournal.com]

Yay, loveliness!

I'm beginning to feel that these pieces you pick have a certain feel to them. Even the Bach...it didn't sound so Bach to me, but sort of a Bach you-style, if that makes any sense, which it probably doesn't because it's late and the world is sparkly before my eyes at the moment. But anyway. I think I liked the Bach the best, and I would love to hear more of the Faure, and the Ravel was, Ravel, yay! :)

[pauraque]

Aw, you signed off shortly before I woke up. Boo.

I tend to like to play pieces that have certain rhythms to them, particularly repeating arpeggios, as is the case with both the Bach and the Fauré here. The Ravel also has a repeating rhythm; it's a waltz, so you get the downbeat and two upbeats.

[fizzingpop.livejournal.com]

Did you study music in college? How long have you been playing? Do you have perfect pitch?

[pauraque]

I didn't go to college. I did take music lessons in school from fifth grade on, but not piano, clarinet. Piano, I taught myself. Of course, I had the benefit of already understanding how sheet music works. I've been learning on and off since I was... perhaps eight? Whenever we got the piano.

I don't know if I'd be considered to have 'perfect pitch', but I do have very good memory for pitch... when I hear a tone, I can remember and reproduce it, even a long time later. I can also give it a name, say C-sharp, though I haven't really bothered to do that with most pitches.

[fizzingpop.livejournal.com]

I forgot to add- The third prelude in the well tempered clevier, book 1 (Bach), is similar to this and a joy to play. If I could figure out how to record things on the computer, I'd make a recording of my playing it on lj.

[pauraque]

This one?
http://www.morosophy.com/sun/file/tempered.mp3
Fear my poor sight-reading and unsubtle page-turning.

I'd like to hear you play. My computer has a standard microphone jack in the sound card; you might want to take a look and see if yours does.

[fizzingpop.livejournal.com]

Yes that's the one that I was referring to. Sorry, I meant to specify, I just wasn't thinking... Mmm. I have the microphone, and the thing recorded- how did you get it linked to lj?