Recently completed: An article on the sociotopical traits of contemporary music (for the fascinating Seiltanz magazine) and an idiosyncratic, anything but contemporary piece named Begebenheit for cello or french horn with piano. May the latter serve as a remedy for the provocation of the former.
Sonatas and Narrations in Concert
Last week has seen another fascinating Medtner event in my university’s chamber hall, confronting the Russian composer’s 1st violin sonata, Op. 21, and Sonata-Ballade, Op. 27, with Beethoven’s Sonata quasi una fantasia, Op. 27 No. 1. Many thanks, Sasha Karpeyev and Viktoria Kaunzner, for your excellent playing!
Medtnerfest in London
F-sharp major is one of music’s most beautiful tonalities. I’ll be talking about Nikolai Medtner‘s Sonata-Ballade, Op. 27, written in exactly that key, tomorrow morning in a symposium at The British Library, London. This will be part of an exceptional program of talks, concerts, a master class and film screening from today through Saturday, all about Medtner, and with the participation of the finest scholars and performers. Really looking forward to the Medtner Study Day, one of the rare occasions of a research event fully dedicated to this composer’s music. Principal organizer of the Medtnerfest is my dear colleague Sasha Karpeyev.
Piano Sonata Talk in Vienna
Off to Vienna. Will be presenting my thoughts on Russian single-movement piano sonatas tomorrow at the University of Music and Performing Arts. Looking forward to blathering extensively about music by Medtner, Scriabin, Myaskovsky, Aleksandrov, and Prokofiev.
Music Memorising Workshop
I will be conducting an one-hour workshop on memorizing music and playing by heart this Sunday, 11:30 am, at Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband‘s studio Schillerstraße, Berlin-Charlottenburg. Cordial invitation to all the music teachers, instrumentalists and singers among my dear acquaintances. Admission is free.