The Classical Music Guide Forums

Donald Isler

Thanks for the very interesting review, Ricordanza! I have yet to hear Bronfman perform live, and now I'm even more interested to hear him!

Donald Isler

Glad you found the cause of the problem, and that all should soon go back to normal.

Donald Isler

Nice to know that, John!

Donald Isler

Don't know how I come to be so lucky but according to the listings I'll be on this week's program, too.

Donald Isler

Dorothy Kilgallen got up to kiss the ring of Bishop Fulton Sheen when he was on. Love watching these old episodes with famous people!

Donald Isler

A very nice story, indeed!

Donald Isler

These are the pianists listed to perform tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at 10 pm, New York time on David Dubal's radio program The Piano Matters on WWFM (www.wwfm.org): Alfred Cortot, Cristina Pegoraro, Mordecai Shehori, Anna Shelest, Vladimir Horowitz, Donald Isler, Jean Casadesus, Paul Jacobs, Horac...

Donald Isler

So many wonderful concerti I can't pick one. Including K. 450, perhaps because I remember a live performance when Artur Balsam played it very well.

Donald Isler

Wishing our esteemed friend, Reblem, a very Happy Birthday and many more!

Donald Isler

First movement of the Mozart 40th Symphony.

Donald Isler

Eduardus Halim Master Class for the Associated Music Teachers League Steinway Hall, New York City Saturday, October 18th, 2014 List of Repertoire, and Pianists Chopin – Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 Robert Bronchard – student of Quynh Nguyen Mendelssohn - Fantasy in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 28 - first ...

Donald Isler

Lenny, I do not have the entire libretto before me but have seen excerpts with ugly references to Jews in it. Also, Klinghoffer was killed because the murderers were mad at Israel. Klinghoffer was not an Israeli. But he was a Jew. Which was good enough for the murderers. Being anti-Israel is more an...

Donald Isler

I've seen enough of the libretto to see that there is ugly anti-Semitism in it. I don't happen to like that. There are also competing demands for sympathies between people which would not be accepted by polite society if it involved other assortments of people. If there were an opera about a woman w...

Donald Isler

I do not question the Met's right to present this production, and I certainly oppose disruptions of performances, such as those against Russian performers, especially Rostropovich back in the '70s. But if I were able to be in the city tomorrow I would probably join a demonstration outside against th...

Donald Isler

Artur Balsam could probably play the whole thing himself! He liked to read such scores, and was an amazing sight-reader.

Donald Isler

Wishing an easy fast to those who observe it.

Donald Isler

Wishing a very good New Year (which begins Wednesday evening) to all those who observe it.

Donald Isler

Wishing very Happy Birthdays to Teresa, Dulcinea and JBuck, who have their birthdays today, tomorrow and the day after!

Donald Isler

Thanks, John, but I can't take much credit for this. I simply shared what another friend had already posted.

Donald Isler

Chamber Music Concert - Summit Music Festival at Manhattanville College Purchase, New York August 4th, 2014 Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in D Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 108 Dmitri Berlinsky, violin Efrem Briskin, piano Mahler: Piano Quartet in A Minor Dmitri Berlinsky, violin Michael Klotz, viola Andre...

Donald Isler

Pavel Narsessian, Pianist Summit Music Festival at Manhattanville College Purchase, New York July 27th, 2014 Prokofiev: Four Piano Pieces, Op. 32 Tchaikovsky: Children’s Album Liszt: Sonata in B Minor The riches of quality summertime concerts in the New York City area are many. There is the just con...

Donald Isler

Massimiliano Ferrati - IKIF 16th International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College July 25th, 2014 Haydn: Andante and Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII:6 Federico Gardella: Invenzione del Margine (2014) World Premiere (dedicated to Massimiliano Ferrati) Beethoven: Sonata No. 21 in C Maj...

Donald Isler

Akiko Ebi - IKIF 16th International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College July 24th, 2014 Schumann: Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 Takemitsu: Rain Tree 2 Chopin: Nocturne in F Major, Op. 15, No. 1 Nocturne in B Major, Op. 62, No. 1 Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 Waltz in A Minor, Op. 34, N...

Donald Isler

Alexandre Moutouzkine - IKIF 16th International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College July 23rd, 2014 Beethoven: Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1 Rachmaninoff: Morceaux de Salon, Op. 10 M. C. Graves: Currency Chopin: Twelve Etudes, Op. 25 Before this concert started IKIF Foun...

Donald Isler

Yuan Sheng - IKIF 16th International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College July 22nd, 2014 Gao Ping: Autumn Pond (2012) Debussy: Twelve Preludes, Book 1 CPE Bach: Fantasie in F-Sharp Minor, H. 300, Wq. 67 Beethoven: Andante Favori, WoO 57 Beethoven: Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 (“Wal...

Donald Isler

Pianist, author and radio personality David Dubal believes that America is a great country but that no one is interested in art anymore; that we are in need of “artistic evangelism.” He also says that pianists are his favorite people. In a lecture of almost two hours he played many examples of great...

Donald Isler

A talk on this subject with Jon Samuels and Joseph Patrych at City College was reviewed for the Classical Music Guide (http://www.classicalmusicguide.com) by me in the “Classical Chatterbox” section on October 18th of last year. Sunday’s presentation also included David Dubal, as well as performance...

Donald Isler

David Dubal maintains that pianistic standards in America are as high as anywhere. Giving his apologies to many other distinguished pianists who, but for time limits, might have been included here, he produced a list of 20 great American pianists, and played brief excerpts of their work. One could w...

Donald Isler

Alexander Schimpf 16th International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College July 16th, 2014 Bach: Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914 Sieber: Augenblicke – eine Sammlung (2008) – US Premiere Debussy: L’isle Joyeuse Beethoven: Sonata in B-Flat major, Op. 106 (“Hammerklavier”) Although yesterday wa...

Donald Isler

Sad news: Mary Wilbur died this morning, three months short of her 96th birthday. Until the last month or two she had been active, and even during the last week she was alert, listening to stories and poems her family told her, and joking with them. She was a remarkable lady.

Donald Isler

Thanks for the additional information, John. It's impressive how much you know about this stuff!

Donald Isler

You may be right, John, that most or all of the people listed made 78's, which Keene and Hungerford, and probably Aeschbacher, didn't. (Keene's husband, Abram Chasins, is on the list.) Joe Patrych suspects that this may also be the reason. I was surprised at the number of names of people on this lis...

Donald Isler

Thanks for alerting us to this new buyer's guide, John. Although it's interesting, I am disappointed that none of the historic releases I've produced on KASP Records, of Aeschbacher, Keene and Hungerford, are mentioned, though a lot of other pianists are who were certainly not of greater importance ...

Donald Isler

Hope it's a great one!

Donald Isler

Actually, JBuck, although I noticed the thread awhile ago I only got around to listening to Messrs. Cortot and Cziffra last night.

Donald Isler

Mystery solved. Yes, Cortot played faster than Cziffra but not, as I suspected, fast enough to save 2 minutes. I just listened to his recording (as well as Cziffra's) with the score in front of me. (Having not played the piece in 20 years I didn't want to rely on my memory.) The Cortot performance l...

Donald Isler

My performance, also on Youtube, takes 7:09, but I'm not a virtuoso in league with these guys. Cziffra was almost super-human, and Cortot's mind made him seem almost that, even when his fingers didn't follow along with everything he wanted them to do.

Donald Isler

Saw the following announcement of a radio program on www.wwfm.org: "Thursday at 10 pm This week's guest is 100 year old, renowned piano teacher Eleanor Sokoloff. She attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia beginning in 1931, joined the faculty in 1936 and continues to teach at Curtis ...

Donald Isler

Thanks for your interest, Maestro and John. No, I don't expect to make a CD of the recital. Nor do I think I'm in a position to review it(!). It's also true that I haven't made a Youtube recording of Op. 111, though I've made a CD of it.

Donald Isler

A Recital by Pianist Donald Isler Saturday May 17th @ 7:00PM Faust Harrison Piano Showroom and Factory 214 Central Ave, White Plains, NY 10606 Admission is free. Please RSVP to events@FaustHarrisonPianos.com The program will include the Prelude and Fugue in E Minor of Mendelssohn, four selections fr...

Donald Isler

Yes, I studied with her. She was quite an inspiring artist, and a wonderful virtuoso, not only then, when she was young (29) but 45 years later when she gave a terrific recital in Houston, which I've released on my record label (KASP Records.) Why the tape ran too fast (making the piece a half tone ...

Donald Isler

In between performances by singers Charles Kullman and Nadine Conner is the only available video I know of featuring pianist Constance Keene, made in 1950 (when she was 29 years old) playing the Chopin Polonaise in A-Flat major. A wonderful performance despite the fact the the music is a half tone s...

Donald Isler

Thank you very much, Holden.

Donald Isler

Thank you, John.

Donald Isler

Thank you, Maestro!

Donald Isler

http://youtu.be/DnXM4_Drn7k

Donald Isler

Harris Goldsmith, Critic and Classical Pianist, Dies at 78 By VIVIEN SCHWEITZER APRIL 20, 2014 Harris Goldsmith, a rarity in classical music for his simultaneous careers as a professional pianist and a music critic, died on April 2 in Manhattan. He was 78. His death, of congestive heart failure, was...

Donald Isler

Thank you, JBuck and Ricordanza!

Donald Isler

Thanks, Garrett!

Donald Isler

Thank you, Tarantella!

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