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Donald Isler

If you're interested, you can still hear it by going to YouTube and putting his name, and Klavierhaus into the search function. He certainly has a history with this piece. I first heard him perform it about 30 years ago, and he and Cortot each played it for each other about 65 years ago!

Donald Isler

Although I probably will not be home and able to watch to it I wanted to let people know that the remarkable pianist Jerome Lowenthal is playing a recital at 7 PM New York time this evening which can be watched on the Klavierhaus livestream. It's in honor of his own 91st (!) birthday, which is tomor...

Donald Isler

Thank you. dear friends, for your good wishes!

And Happy Birthday to Holden!

Donald Isler

Wow! That's probably it! Must listen to it (again) sometime. Thanks!

Donald Isler

I don't usually post links to concerts but this piano recital is so exceptional that I happily put it here for others to enjoy. Cherkassky was 79 at the time he played this very difficult program which includes a Bach/Liszt Fantasy and Fugue, Schumann's Kreisleriana, the Grieg E Minor Sonata, Bernst...

Donald Isler

I heard him give a recital at Town Hall perhaps 20 years ago and thought he was very good. I remember the Waldstein Sonata was on the program; don't remember the rest too well. I also remember he didn't walk with crutches but obviously had a very weak left leg, and did all the pedaling with the righ...

Donald Isler

Wishing a Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

Donald Isler

I can't really say I know either of the Druckers, who, I believe, were not related but: 1) I met Stanley Drucker once in the early 1970's at the home of his teacher, Leon Russianoff, as I played with some of Russianoff's other students. I remember Stanley Drucker and his wife both playing on that oc...

Donald Isler

Just discovered this: a 1980 visit to the radio program Concert Grand in which host Joe Patrych interviews me, and plays my concert recordings of the Beethoven Bagatelles, Op. 126, and the Chopin B Minor Sonata. I wish I were a bit more verbally eloquent than on this occasion, but I think the playin...

Donald Isler

Sunday Evenings at Klavierhaus and The New York Piano Academy presents: Stephen Beus, piano December 4th, 2022 West End Presbyterian Church 165 West 105th Street New York, NY, 10025 Felix Mendelssohn Sonata No. 1, Op. 6, in E Major Charles-Valentin Alkan Prelude, Op. 31 No. 8 Etude, Op. 39 No. 12 "A...

Donald Isler

Yes, he was a most impressive teacher, John!

I do remember him saying he learned best from Friedman by observation rather than by words, but he explains that better here, Rach! And I'm glad you're listening to more of his recordings!

Donald Isler

Many thanks, Charm Newton, for posting this fascinating interview with Hungerford which I don't believe I ever heard before! It must date from 1968. I look forward to sharing it elsewhere, and appreciate your making me aware of it! I also did not know (or did not remember) that Hungerford himself ta...

Donald Isler

Most of his Bach playing and recording were done in the 1950's with the exception of the Myra Hess transcription of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and the Busoni transcription of Ich Ruf zu Dir. In the 1960's and 1970's he played mostly Beethoven (of course he was busy learning all the sonatas for his ...

Donald Isler

Thanks for your kind comments. It's the least I could do for my teacher. Yes, I agree, if he had finished the Beethoven sonata cycle it would have been ranked with the best of them.

Donald Isler

Bruce Hungerford and my father, Werner Isler, were good friends. Both were born in 1922. But whereas Dad lived to 91, and I can stretch my imagination to realize “Yeah, he’d really be a hundred years old now! ” it’s harder to think that way about Bruce. He died in a tragic auto accident, together wi...

Donald Isler

I've heard this man perform. He's still in amazing shape at 87, and obviously has enormous courage! The Defection of Mikhail Voskresensky Why a beloved Russian pianist is living in the Bronx with only a Yamaha electric keyboard By Franklin Foer Mikhail Voskresensky at the piano OCTOBER 26, 2022 Ther...

Donald Isler

Glad to know you're well, and back to doing your programs again. It's a very worthwhile contribution to your community!

Donald Isler

Daniel Colalillo, Pianist Klavierhaus - New York October 1st, 2022 Bach - C Major prelude WTC Book I Julian Bennett Holmes - Recercare * Irene Britton Smith - Two Short Preludes for Piano Stephanie Anna Boyd - Gotham Requiem Op. 78 * Roslavets - Prelude No. 5 Scriabin - Prelude for Left Hand Alone O...

Donald Isler

Wishing a Good New Year (which begins Sunday evening) to all who observe!

Donald Isler

Chamber Music Concert Summit Music Festival Thornwood, New York August 3rd, 2022 Schubert: Rondo Brilliant in B Minor, Op. 70 Emil Chudnovsky, Violin Pei-Hsuan Tsai, Piano Chopin: Sonata in G Minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 65 iii: Adagio Steven Elisha, Cello Michael Davidman, Piano Debussy: Sonata i...

Donald Isler

Pavel Nersessian, Pianist Summit Music Festival Thornwood, New York August 1st, 2022 Silvestrov: Five Waltzes and a Lullaby, Op. 174 Beethoven: Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 ("Moonlight") Poulenc: Soirées de Nazalles FP 84 Dandrieu: La Caquet Rameau: Le Rappel des oiseaux Daquin: Le Coucou ...

Donald Isler

Concert in Memory of Violinist Aaron Rosand Summit Music Festival Thornwood, New York July 30th, 2022 Vitali: Chaconne Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 Frolov: Porgy and Bess Fantasy Richard Lin, Violin Kyoung Im Kim, Piano This program in memory of the distinguished violinist, Aaron ...

Donald Isler

Thanks for posting this! Am glad to see the Hungerford lessons made more easily available here. One of the links also has a Goldsand interview!

Donald Isler

Chamber Music Concert Summit Music Festival Thornwood, New York July 29th, 2022 Ysaye: Sonata No. 4 in E Minor for Solo Violin Chin Kim, Violin Beethoven: Duo No. 1 for Violin and Cello, WoO 27 Handel/Halvorsen: Passacaglia Herbert Greenberg, Violin Jeffrey Solow, Cello Brahms: Trio No. 2 in C Major...

Donald Isler

Wynona Yinuo Wang, Pianist Klavierhaus - New York Sunday, July 3rd, 2022 Janacek: Piano Sonata Rachmaninoff: Daisies Rachmaninoff: Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10 Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin Last night's concert from Klavierhaus, which I watched via livestream, was supposed to be a performance ...

Donald Isler

Afterthoughts of a Pianist/Teacher A Collection of Essays and Interviews Donald Isler iUniverse, 284 pp, $21 (paperback) This is the book of my dreams – literally. I drive about 100 miles a day and listen to a lot of music. I also occasionally reminisce and daydream about concerts I have seen, teach...

Donald Isler

Michael Davidman, Pianist Greenwich House Music School New York June 14th, 2022 Frédéric Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35 Michael Davidman: The Lady from the Sea (after the play by the same name, by Henrik Ibsen) César Franck: Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21 Francois Couperin: Le ...

Donald Isler

Wishing Lance a very Happy Birthday, and many more!

Donald Isler

Sandro Russo, Pianist Klavierhaus - New York Sunday June 5th, 2022 Liszt: The Twelve Transcendental Etudes One approaches hearing a performance of the Liszt Transcendental Etudes anticipating that one might hear a lot of flash and bravura. But what instead impressed me about this evening's program, ...

Donald Isler

The 2022 Van Cliburn Competition is now underway, and you can watch it on another thread here! Some people may also enjoy watching scenes from the conclusion of the 1969 Van Cliburn Competition. One sees, or catches glimpses of the winners (top winners: Cristina Ortiz and Minoru Nojima), as well as ...

Donald Isler

I sent Lance's review to Tessa Uys, whom I met years ago in London. She was very happy to learn of it, and said they will soon record the Scharwenka transcriptions of the 4th and 8th Symphones.

Donald Isler

Glad to read of your enthusiastic reactions, gentlemen!

Donald Isler

The Associated Music Teachers League, of which I'm Treasurer, and Chair of the Mid-Season Musicales, will present its final concert of the season, the Virtual Honors Concert, this afternoon at 5 PM New York time, on the organization's website, www.amtl.org. There are some really terrific young perfo...

Donald Isler

Very sorry to learn of the death of this great pianist who was a friend years ago when he lived in New York.

Donald Isler

Our host, Lance, asked me to tell his friends on CMG that he has had no landline phone or Internet since the big storm five days ago. Fortunately he does have electricity, and can check messages when he's at the university. Hopefully things will be better soon.

Donald Isler

Thanks for this very fine review, Ricordanza! I saw him play on a livestream of a concert with most of these works. Yes, he's a terrific pianist!

Donald Isler

I like Odeon, and that certain Brazilian sensibility! Another Brazilian pianist I like, and knew many years ago, is Flavio Varani. Not sure if he's made many CD's but there are YouTube performances by him.

Donald Isler

https://youtu.be/Z1CKfnmkvks

Donald Isler

Here's a link to the program if anyone else would like to hear it:

https://www.wwfm.org/show/between-the-k ... /mar-15-16

Donald Isler

Thanks very much, gentlemen, for listening, and for your kind comments, especially about Dad!

Donald Isler

Donald Isler on Between the Keys This week Tuesday March 15th at 10:00 PM, New York time rebroadcast Wednesday March 16th at 12 Noon, New York time on The Classical Network WWFM.org Between the Keys with Jed Distler Episode 351: Isler’s Insights Pianist, writer and educator Donald Isler returns to o...

Donald Isler

Jerome Lowenthal 90th Birthday Livestream Concert - Sunday, Feb 20th, 2022 The great pianist and pedagogue Jerome Lowenthal turned 90 on Feb 11, 2022. In honor of his birthday and the myriad contributions he has made to the piano world as a performer, beloved teacher, musical archeologist and racont...

Donald Isler

Mr. Parnas was a wonderful musician! I remember him from summers spent at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Maine, where I heard him perform, and coach.

Donald Isler

Although people who have joined recently didn't know him, Werner Isler (my father) very much enjoyed his friendships at CMG, and participating in the forums here. Today would be his 100th birthday! In honor of the occasion, here is his performance of the slow movement of a Schubert sonata: https://y...

Donald Isler

Jed Distler, of Gramophone and Classics Today, has written about my new book: "No book since Abram Chasins' Speaking of Pianists truly captures the breadth and diversity of the New York area's classical piano community in the late 20th and early 21st centuries than Donald Isler's Afterthoughts of a ...

Donald Isler

Thank you for your interest, gentlemen!

The easiest way to get it, as I understand it, is

1) Go to www.iuniverse.com

2) Click on "Bookstore"

3) Put my name into the search function

4) Click on the book when the title appears.

Donald Isler

It was a nice treat yesterday (my birthday) to learn that my new book is now available for purchase from IUniverse.(though the publisher says one can expect to wait 2 to 3 weeks for delivery, especially as it's brand new.) What book is this? It's called "Afterthoughts of a Pianist/Teacher - A Collec...

Donald Isler

Thank you very much for your good wishes, gentlemen! I appreciate them, as well as my friendships at CMG!

In a few minutes I will post something about my new book, which I hope may be of interest to some people.

Donald Isler

Wishing everyone well for Christmas and the other holidays, and best wishes for the New Year!

Donald Isler

Thanks for this very interesting, well-written review, Ricordanza!

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