Well my listening has ground to a halt I've been so busy but I'm trying to find time to rewrite my website so if there are any features you think it would be good to include let me know via the feedback page and I'll consider them.

Maybe Sorabji was a bad choice given how busy I am and the length of some of his compositions. It's not at all easy finding several hours to sit down with the score of OC!

The composer for June (and July) is Sorabji. I didn't get any answers on a postcard - or otherwise!

Things have been busy recently but I'll be adding the composer for June very soon. I just need to write a few notes up but if you want a clue - KSS aka LD! Answers on a postcard - well not literally!

Marc-André Hamelin
Queen Elizabeth Hall
13 April 2011

I've just got back from Marc-André Hamelin's concert at QEH - fantastic as always and he was signing CDs after so I got my copy of his Etudes signed. It's a first edition out last year so he was good enough to flick through and correct several typos which are not found in the latest edition.


I asked for a few tips and then we had a quick chat about the Sorabji studies.

It's official! One of my piano friends told me the other day that I'm a 'piano nut' - I think she meant it as a compliment!

This month is Messiaen. There's a lot of amazing music to listen to so I've limited it to the pieces for which I have the score (apart from the quartet). I haven't had chance to start yet but I did watch the Roger Muraro DVD of the Vingt Regards the other night - but I wasn't following the score so Ill come back to that before the month is out and use a CD - possibly Yvonne Loriod, Roger Muraro, Peter Hill or John Ogdon! I also bought the Yvonne Loriod DVD (see the Messiaen page) so I plan to watch that too before the month is out.

This month is Ravel and I've already started listening to the pieces on the list - but last night I was up late listening to Alicia de Larrocha playing Goyescas yet again! Absolutely wonderful music. The notes in the CD say that in 1916 Granados delayed returning from the USA so he could play to President Wilson, catching a later boat which meant he had to change in Liverpool in the UK. Unfortunately the boat he caught was torpedoed by a German sub and although he found safety in a lifeboat he left that in a failed attempt to rescue his wife - and both of them were drowned.

I've been very busy over the last month and have fallen behind with my listening but I hope to catch up and have therefore put a page up for March with a limited selection of music by Ravel. The Sonatine has particularly fond memories for me as I played it for my grade 8 exam many years ago!

I was chatting to a friend over the weekend and I remembered a dream I had when I was a student. I was preparing the Waldstein Sonata for my degree recital and I dreamt that I'd spent so long working on the outer movements that I turned up at the recital and suddenly realised I'd never got round to looking at the slow movement! That day I woke up, booked a room and learnt the slow movement - just to be sure!

Yesterday lunchtime I went to the library as usual armed with a score and my iPod intending to listen to the first piece from Goyescas before getting on with some work. I couldn't put it down, listened to the whole set, did absolutely no work and got back to the office late! There's some great music on the list this month!