Les pianistes is a group of ardent Hong Kong pianists who have been working with one another for years. The gathering and consolidation of the group are based on one common ideal: to break the invisible barrier of the so-called canon of the piano literature by sharing music which is rarely performed, seldom heard, not frequently recorded, newly written, miserably overlooked and neglected in oblivion, etc., in scrupulously and creatively organized live concerts.
Though only founded in 2012, members of Les pianistes have started this unique musical practice since long ago and critical acclaims have been yielded on these pianists for bringing not less than this illuminous list of composers, namely Godowsky, Blancafort, Bortkiewicz, Medtner, Mompou, Ropartz, Alexandrov, Ponce, Gnattali, Mignone, Guastavino, Earl Wild, de Severac, Vladigerov, Jongen, etc. to light in the relatively conservative musical environment in Hong Kong. We also promote the music of such living composers (with some of whom we even have personal contacts) as Alexander Rosenblatt, Vyacheslav Gryaznov, Kyoko Yamamoto, Nikolai Kapustin, Marcela Fiorillo, Federico Ruiz, to name but a few, extensively.
With the launch of this blog, we are happy to present some of our best live recordings or home-made recordings either from our concerts or from various private occasions. We would also like to introduce interesting and highly recommendable recordings, music, scores, in other words, any fascinating stuff about music, from the unique perspective of Les pianistes, here.
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once declared that "Without music, life would be an error". To live a less erroneous life, come join us for some better music.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Rachmaninoff Song – Zdes’ horosho




Rachmaninoff Song – Zdes’ horosho (How nice it is there / How fair this spot / Where beauty dwells), transcriptions for solo piano

                                                                                       Ashkenazy:
                                                                                          Gryaznov:



                                                                                        Earl Wild:



It's quite unexpected that the Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy has written such a piano transcription but we are happy to recommend this to pianophiles.  As far as the writer knows, this is the first time that we see a score written by the Maestro (please correct me if I am wrong). This score was published in a magazine called Piano Today back a few years.  The song is with a very haunting melody, while its length is as precious as a jewel gem, rendering a ethereal and transient poetic beauty.  Besides the Ashkenazy version, there are two more versions which we would like to share: one by the young Russian pianist Vyacheslav Gryaznov and the other by the legendary Earl Wild.  If you play the pianos, do try your hands on each of these transcriptions and we are sure that you will find different flavours and pianisms.  But as a listener, would you like to tell us which one you prefer?


想也想不到大鋼琴家Vladimir Ashkenazy也有寫這一類的鋼琴改編曲, 不妨在這裡推介給樂迷們, 這是就筆者所知第一次出自大師手筆的作品 (如有紕誤, 承蒙諸方指正). 此鋼琴譜曾刊在一期多年前的一本叫 Piano Today 的雜誌上,是一首非常優美的樂曲, 而短少的篇幅更讓音樂有著詩情倏忽而逝之嘆謂. 除了Ashkenazy的版本之外, 筆者還羅列了同一曲的另外兩個改編版本供大家欣賞, 分別是年青俄羅斯鋼琴家 Gryaznov 和經典的 Earl Wild 版本. 懂鋼琴的話, 不妨每一首都試奏一番, 定會發覺不同的風味. 但如果從聆聽觀賞的角度, 大家又喜歡那一個版本呢?

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2 comments:

  1. chris r5/07/2014 05:35:00 AM

    In order:

    1) Gryaznov - delicious harmonies, faithful to Rachmaninov's style

    2) Ashkenazy: Not as colourful as the Gryaznov. Simple, but a bit plain.

    3) Earl Wild: vulgar. A bit too much like a jazz improvisation.

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  2. Euryanthe10/29/2022 04:11:00 PM

    I am looking for Ashkenazy's Transcription everywhere, but I never found it. Could you please tell me where can I buy this number of "Piano Today"? Thank you so much.

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