The Classical Music Guide Forums

Donald Isler

No "Rush Hour In Hong Hong" by Abram Chasins on the list, in honor of the former KUSC music director? Just kidding! I don't think even Abram considered the work to be on that level!

Donald Isler

Thanks!

Donald Isler

Wishing an easy fast to those who observe it.

Donald Isler

There was one very well-known pianist on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music in my day who was famous, or, I should say, infamous for the way he treated many women. I won't print his name here, but he certainly wouldn't get away with such things today.

Donald Isler

Thank you, Barney and Ricordanza!

Donald Isler

Wishing a good and a sweet New Year to all who observe it!

Donald Isler

A unique and memorable individual who contributed a lot, and was
also a wonderful, helpful colleague.

Donald Isler

Wishing our kind host a fine celebration, and many more years of health, happiness, and music!

Donald Isler

Very sorry to hear he's had so many health problems. Last year I wrote an article about a performance he gave at Merkin Hall. (It's in the CMG section on concert reviews.) After that I was in touch with him about doing an interview, but he begged off because he was going to have surgery. Sounds like...

Donald Isler

Her stepson, Dr. Jonathan Raskin, was a high school classmate of mine, and was also very ill from the Corona virus. During his recovery he did an interview with another classmate about his experience with the illness, and that can be found on YouTube. His mother was the soprano, Judith Raskin, after...

Donald Isler

Pianist Ruth Slenczynska, now 95, was supposed to be performing in Japan this week. However, when the pandemic hit a few weeks ago, it found her visiting friends in California, where she remains. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to play some of the program she recorded Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata...

Donald Isler

He was a presence at Manhattan School of Music when I studied there. And I remember him from performances he conducted and from a conducting class I took.

Donald Isler

Here's my recording of Artur Schnabel's Foxtrot (from KASP Records 57571).

https://youtu.be/aa0f_SEfhTI

Donald Isler

He is, indeed, a very impressive player, and his teacher, who's done a wonderful job with him, is a friend of mine. Glad to see them both get this recognition!

Donald Isler

Thanks a lot, Robert!

Donald Isler

Many thanks, Brian and Teresa!

Donald Isler

Well, thank you very much, Lance, Barney and Len! It's nice to be remembered as we get older!! Thanks for the good wishes!

Donald Isler

I am shocked, and very sorry to hear this. John was a friend, and one of the most valuable, and knowledgeable members of this group.

Donald Isler

Shocked, yes, but not unnerved. Rather, I was delighted! It was as if he came back from the past for a visit.

Donald Isler

Although this is not strictly about classical music I post this here rather than on the Pub because it's about a classical music personality. The Australian pianist, Bruce Hungerford (1922-1977), my teacher, didn't seem to belong to the era in which he lived. He was interested in classical music (ob...

Donald Isler

There are lots of interesting things on the Arbiter records website, including excerpts of Bruce Hungerford's lessons with Brahms student Carl Friedberg, who speaks about Brahms.

Donald Isler

Wishing an easy fast to all who observe it.

Donald Isler

Wishing a good New Year to all those who observe it!

Donald Isler

Really? That memory problem I don't know about. But I know Schnabel got lost in the last movement of Mozart K. 488 at a Carnegie Hall concert in 1946 with Rodzinski and the NY Philharmonic which Dad attended. After regrouping, to finish the movement, I believe they played the whole movement over aga...

Donald Isler

The question above was always posted shortly before July 14th by our late, lamented friend, Ralph Stein, to remind us of his upcoming birthday. After Ralph died, in 2012, I sometimes posted the question around that date, and the person who always knew to whom and to what I was referring was our othe...

Donald Isler

Pianist Ann Schein and her husband, Earl Carlyss (former member of the Juilliard Quartet), whom I recently interviewed.

Donald Isler

Some of the 1929 video would probably have been familiar to Dad. He was a 7 year old in Berlin then!

Donald Isler

Can we ever have enough of Horowitz? No! There are all the recordings he made, and there's also the repertoire he played, but unfortunately never recorded. For instance, as I learned at an ARSC meeting, there was a 1945 Carnegie Hall concert which included his only known performance of the Prokofiev...

Donald Isler

Ilya Yakushev, Piano Thomas Mesa, Cello 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College July 27th, 2019 Scriabin: Prelude and Nocturne For the Left Hand, Op. 9 Mussorgsky: Pictures At an Exhibition Mr. Yakushev Rachmaninoff: Sonata For Cello and Piano in G Mino...

Donald Isler

Massimiliano Ferrati - IKIF 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College July 25th, 2019 Schubert: Moment Musical in C Major, Op. 94, No. 1 Beethoven: Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 - "Waldstein" Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G-Sharp Minor from the Well-Tempe...

Donald Isler

Wagners's granddaughter, Friedelind, whom we knew, drove a Citroen. So maybe at least she would approve?!

Donald Isler

The Classical Music Guide Vladimir Rumyantsev - IKIF 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College July 25th, 2019 Tchaikovsky-Pabst: Concert Paraphrase from "Eugene Onegin", Op. 81 Schumann: Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 Tchaikovsky: Five Pieces from "The Seasons...

Donald Isler

Yuan Sheng - IKIF 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College July 20th, 2019 Beethoven: Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26 Chopin: Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35 Chopin: Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 36 Chopin: Waltz in A-Flat Major, Op. 69, No. 1...

Donald Isler

Keyboard Conversations With Jeffrey Siegel - IKIF Bach: Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829 Bach: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903 Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-Flat Major, Op. 61 A long time friend (60 years!) of IKIF Director Jerome Rose, the pianist Jeffrey Siegel studied with at ...

Donald Isler

Interview of Alan Walker by Jerome Rose - IKIF Though he's a distinguished scholar and author, Alan Walker has no airs about himself, or his achievements. Seeing him as I entered Lang Hall for this event, I congratulated him on his wonderful new biography, "Fryderyk Chopin - A Life and Times" and to...

Donald Isler

Ann Schein - IKIF 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College July 19th, 2019 Beethoven: Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux" Copland: Piano Variations Ravel: Sonatine Debussy: L'isle joyeuse Rachmaninoff: Etudes-Tableaux in E-Flat Minor and E-Flat ...

Donald Isler

Mao Fujita - IKIF 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College July 19th, 2019 Mozart: Sonata in C Major, K. 330 Liszt: Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor, S, 139/10 Rachmaninoff: Etude-tableau in E-Flat Minor, Op. 30, No. 5 Tchaikovsky: Dumka in C Minor...

Donald Isler

Vadym Kholodenko - IKIF 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Merkin Hall July 18th, 2019 Mozart: Fantasia in C Minor, K. 475 Beethoven: Six Bagatelles, Op. 126 Beethoven: Rondo a capriccio, Op. 129 Godowsky: Selections From Studies on Chopin Etudes Tchaikovsky: Piano Sonata in C-Sharp ...

Donald Isler

Jerome Rose - IKIF 21st International Keyboard Institute and Festival Merkin Hall July 14th, 2019 Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-Flat Major, Op. 61 Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op. 16 Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5 Pianist Jerome Rose founded the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in...

Donald Isler

When your student asks how old you are, you reply "100" and they seem to believe it.

Donald Isler

A terrific pianist and an amazing sight reader! I studied chamber music with him for several years at Manhattan School of Music and at the Kneisel Hall (Maine) Music Festival, and heard him play many times.

Donald Isler

Needless to say I also enjoyed seeing my CMG friends while having a fine lunch, and look forward to the time!

Donald Isler

Very sorry we will not see you tomorrow, Hank. Hope your wife will make a quick recovery!

Donald Isler

Looking forward!

Donald Isler

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to our good friend and host, Lance, G. Hill!

Donald Isler

Katherine Bacon also played all the Schubert sonatas in New York in 1928 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Schubert's death. My friend, Elizabeth Thode Hoard (1907-2011) said she heard all heard all of these recitals. (On April 19th, 2007 I posted a tribute to Ms. Hoard on CMG for her hundredth b...

Donald Isler

Yes, I know of it, and keep meaning to hear it................!

Hope to listen to the recital you posted this evening!

Donald Isler

That's a great find, Rach3! I must make time to listen to these Friedberg performances later!

If you go to Google and put into the search function window "Carl Friedberg's Lesson To Bruce Hungerford" you can listen to excerpts of these lessons, made around the same time, on works of Brahms.

Donald Isler

I remember that when I was growing up the starting time for concerts in New York was often 8:30 PM.

Donald Isler

Pomodoro Rosso, where we met last time, was very pleasant and accommodating, plus we had our own room, and the food was good. I'd be happy to go back there.

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