I forgot to mention: Arcadi Volodos Plays Brahms. This is to died for…
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That makes two of us…
some great jazz piano albums i love
chano dominguez
and
The Volodos Brahms mentioned above is very special. If Bach is the radar a current favourite is the recital from Víkingur Ólafsson. Exceptional playing beautifully recorded.
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Jonathan, I’m hoping you could always ask your friend what she would like to hear.
Best, C.
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Jonathon,
I hope you have as good a time as possible in the circumstances.
There are some great recommendations in the thread already and I love the Sudbin/Scarlatti as recommended to me by @davidhendon.
However, as an alternative one of my absolute “go to” CDs is the Scott Joplin rags performed by Joshua Rifkin.
Scott Joplin: Piano Rags [IMPORT] https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000005IYF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_WfLiDb1FRNAA1
Best regards,
Lindsay
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Jonathan
My mum died of breast cancer when I was a child and I recently lost a musician friend of many years standing so I feel for and would like to express my deepest sympathies to you and your friend.
My own ATC SCM40s have been in my lounge for just over a week now and I have been spending time re-exploring my record collection. Last night it was solo piano and I am still astonished at how superb the ATCs were at reproducing piano. Perhaps this should not be surprising given that ATC’s founder and designer of their signature mid-range dome, Billy Woodman, is a jazz pianist. Anyway two of the works I enjoyed last night, both with particularly well recorded piano are:
Murray Perahia playing Brahms’ Variations on a theme by Handel (the Harmonious Blacksmith) on Sony and
Paul Lewis playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on Harmonia Mundi.
Roger (with apologies if this is too late to be of any use to you)
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Nojima Plays Liszt, Reference Recordings. Amazing recording. Any of the David Wilson recordings.
Are you playing Vinyl or Streaming I’d look for some DSD material if you can find what she’d like… I’m a Joni Mitchel fan, Blue is an amazing recording and the Music … It’s Joni what else to say…Also Elton John Tumbleweed Connection DSD… is really good.
Take a look at https://www.hdtracks.com, and https://store.acousticsounds.com
FYI: Cancer Survivor here give her a fist bump for me!
Just wanted to say that no you’re not too late at all - Anne was over for a couple of days and I have now taken her back to Wales as she is looking after our dog for a couple of weeks which means she will be making a return visit to my house in a couple of weeks.
We really enjoyed exploring the selections of music suggested on here and she was astounded at the difference in my system since her last visit. She did confess that she was worried that she might not hear much difference but in fact she felt the improvement the system changes have made is nothing short of astonishing. I think she had no idea that domestic hi-fi could sound so real!
I just wanted to say congratulations to you Rick for beating this terrible disease. I am mostly using my NDX as I don’t have a great deal of piano works of great merit on vinyl or CD. And condolences to you Roger for your Mum, I hope music provided comfort to you. I’m a big fan of the moonlight sonata so will certainly be checking out your recommendations. Congratulations too on the ATC SCM40’s - I think they have been the single biggest upgrade I have ever made in 35 years pursuing great sound. We played some of the tracks from Paul Simon’s Graceland while Anne was here and both of us were utterly shocked at how real and tangible those voices and drums sounded in the room. It’s well worth trying on the ATC’s - I strongly recommend ‘Diamonds on the soles of her shoes’.
Anne made a video some years ago about living with breast cancer for charity, I hope nobody minds me posting it here but I think it shows her remarkable courage. She’s still the same - living life to the full, positive, smiling and still playing her beloved piano. I’m looking forward to hearing her play later today - it feels such a privilege! We are going to investigate getting her properly recorded.
Many thanks for all the comments, you are an amazing and very touching group of people!
Jonathan
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Dear Jonathan
What you are doing for Anne is an estimable thing, my friend. There are no books or guidelines of how to behave when someone is in Anne’s situation. You just have to support Anne and do what “feels right” for her. Sadly I know this only too well having lost my beautiful wife of 24 years to ovarian cancer last summer. We had only 5 months from her terminal diagnosis to her passing, but we made a pact that every day would be a good one, and we would try to do something “new” each day, as often as her health would allow. This involved going out for days, going to galleries, going to see old friends and misbehaving as often as possible!! Once her illness meant she was housebound - music would come to the rescue. My abiding memory is of her relaxing on her favourite lounger on the patio, under the awning (if you recall the weather was warm last summer) where I would open the patio doors and play music loudly (sod the neighbours) whilst I poured her the largest gin & tonic on god’s green earth. From Anne’s video - it seems she has the same incredibly positive attitude. Well done Anne!
I’m sorry but I don’t know anything about classical piano music for her, but I am a bit of a jazz piano fan so hopefully the following might be of interest:
- Of course any piano player will appreciate dear old Oscar Peterson. I know some people think him a bit like lounge music, but he was an extraordinary player. His best technical recordings were without doubt, for the german MPS label in 1967. They were trio recordings made in a sound engineer’s home and his playing is truly wonderful. This is a series of recordings called “exclusively for my friends” of which volumes 2 and 3 are my personal favourites (MPS 15180 ST and MPS 15179 ST). Problem here is I don’t know if they are available for streaming as the originals were vinyl only.
- I’d also recommend the superb New York player David Hazeltine. He is best known for his themed albums and strong recording techniques. My three favourites (all piano trios) are Alfie (2006 - TKCV 35375), Modern Standards (2005 - CD 1032-2) and Jobim Songbook in New York (2007 - Chesky SACD 328). The first is all Bacharach material; the second is modern songs from the likes of the Bee Gees, Lennon/Macca and the Isley Brothers; the third is straight ahead readings of Jobim classics like Wave and Desafinado. All three are thoroughly recommended and highly tuneful.
One day I’ll write something about my experience of the interrelationship between music and grief. How music can heal. How music can provide redemption. How music can transport you when times get tough. How music can help to visualise the past. All of these things will help soothe Anne’s journey. Just let her know we are all rooting for her.
Andrew
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