A video from Didier using a GI-IC piece

Another video from Didier using a GI-IC piece

There are two new pieces on the Widget above - Rebuff and Interpreter. I have started the next article.

Three CDs have arrived - Webern Songs for Piano + Voice, J Browne Live in Milan and James Blake. I haven t started the latter yet. JB was recorded with a band in 1993 and is pretty much what you would expect.

On the Webern about half the songs come from before the time he was awarding his pieces opus nos. Initially the songs are very clearly romantic. There are some free scores to download and there is also a free download of the opus no songs by two US performers - Jody Pou and Emily Manzou. I cant find anything out about them even though they do this difficult music extremely well. My CD is of two major Russian artists and although their skills and artistry is evident I think I prefer the lighter Pou/Manzou approach.

Webern uses some very strange chords in the free period. The major poets that he sets are George and Dehmel. The latter is quite left wing and also favours free love. This contrasts with the later period songs which set Jone who is very straight and a good friend of W in his later years. She also did a famous sketch of W conducting.

The Naxos CD of the songs is pretty good value but then Pou/Manzou is a free download.

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