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.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Alexis Weissenberg








Exactly one year ago, Alexis Weissenberg (1929 - 2012) passed away.  The above two videos are posted as a tribute to this world-renowned pianist.

Weissenberg was widely known as a classical pianist.  However, like Samson François, Weissenberg also played jazz in his private life.  For many years, a legendary recording (45 rpm EP) of six piano arrangements of Trenet songs have been circulating and the scores were wildly sought after since then.  This fabulous recording is called "Mr. Nobody plays Trenet" and the Mr. Nobody in question was only identified as Alexis Weissenberg when Marc-André Hamelin published his "In a State of Jazz", despite the fact that Hamelin is not the first pianist to record these arrangements (Leif Ove Andsnes had recorded before one, namely 'Coin de Rue', from the set in his EMI album "Horizon" but at that time Mr. Nobody was still mysteriously veiled).

In the videos, both pieces were played by Frederic Koon.  While Vous qui passez sans me voir was notated by Frederic Koon, En Avril, á Paris was transcribed by the wonderful Singaporean pianist Wei-Yuan Chua.  I seize the chance here to express my gratitude to him for providing me his illustrious work.