Unknown Rachmaninov
This is my must have CD for the month.
"First, it was recorded on Rachmaninov's own Steinway, housed at his Swiss villa; second, it contains two premiere recordings. The new works are a recently discovered Fugue in D minor (1891) and the piano version of the Suite for Orchestra in D minor (1891). These rarities are flanked by a handful of preludes and etudes-tableaux, plus the rip-roaring Second Sonata, Op.36."
Hats off to Denis Matuev.
Steinway Legends
Speaking of Steinway.
Just short of buying the piano lover in your life a Steinway for Christmas, this will do very nicely:
"The Steinway Legends Grand Edition. The entire series is offered in a unique boxed set crafted in the shape of a Steinway Grand Piano. The box includes 10 2-disc sets each one featuring a separate artist; Vladimir Horowitz, Claudio Arrau, Maurizio Pollini, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mitsuko Uchida, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Wilhelm Kempff, Emil Gilels, Martha Argerich, and Alfred Brendel, plus a deluxe booklet and a bonus CD."
Very nice indeed. link
"Acclaimed British pianist Stephen Hough (huff) is the 2008 winner of the Northwestern University School of Music's Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance."
One of my all time favorie pianists. Link
Hannibal Lecter on Tour
File this one under unexpected.
"Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins has unveiled plans to embark on a major world tour - as a concert pianist."
Details here. And if you can't make to one of the performances, don't worry there is apparently a CD in the works.
Hopkins has a CD, featuring his compositions for new film Slipstream, coming out and he has suddenly become a composer of note.
He adds, "I've been asked if I would write symphonic music for a symphony orchestra in Australia. Also I've been invited to Prague to write some music there."
Just generally invited to Prague? Hey I wanna go too......