Re: Shostakovich (was Jarrett)

>From: Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@anaphoria.com>

>There are some recordings finally of Dimitri playing himself that has been out
>in russia for ever. Haven't picked it up yet. Still if you did an A/B test of
>the Roger Woodard recordings made on RCA in the Mid seventies I think you
>would be disappointed with Jarretts versions. The Roger Wooded version I enjoy
>so much I have taken a few steps to get it out again! Wish me luck!
>-- Kraig Grady
>North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
>www.anaphoria.com
>

I have Dimitri playing six or seven preludes and fugues on LP I got maybe
20 years ago. Although he doesn't have the chops one would expect from a
pianist nowadays he more than makes up for it with his interpretations,
which are magical. He especially plays the one in d minor really amazing.
This has been one of my favorite recordings for years. I also have
Woodwards complete on LP but Id rather hear Shostakovich playing them any
day. Havn't heard Jarrets but the one classical recording of his I heard (I
think Bach) sounded like a jazz pianinst playing classical without the
techniqual control one expects from a classical musician. For all the
limitations of classical music training (and as a grad. and now teacher at
Juilliard I know whereof I speak) it does give one amazing technical
control of ones instrument, and this is audible in performance. It is
particularly when you hear someone like Jarret without classical training
playing classical repetoire that you hear the difference. Interpretaion is
another story. There are scads of classical pianists out there that can
play the shit out of the instrument that have no personality in their
playing, and couldnt improvise their way out of a paper bag if their life
depended on it. The ideal is combining the rigour of classical training
with improvisational skills to impart more spontenaity to interpretations.

dante

dante rosati wrote:

> From: dante rosati <dante@pop.interport.net>
>
> >From: Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@anaphoria.com>
>
> >There are some recordings finally of Dimitri playing himself that has been out
> >in russia for ever. Haven't picked it up yet. Still if you did an A/B test of
> >the Roger Woodard recordings made on RCA in the Mid seventies I think you
> >would be disappointed with Jarretts versions. The Roger Wooded version I enjoy
> >so much I have taken a few steps to get it out again! Wish me luck!
> >-- Kraig Grady
> >North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
> >www.anaphoria.com
> >
>
> I have Dimitri playing six or seven preludes and fugues on LP I got maybe
> 20 years ago. Although he doesn't have the chops one would expect from a
> pianist nowadays he more than makes up for it with his interpretations,
> which are magical. He especially plays the one in d minor really amazing.
> This has been one of my favorite recordings for years. I also have
> Woodwards complete on LP but Id rather hear Shostakovich playing them any
> day.

Well most of the P&F are out on CD with the big D playing! Thanks for letting me
know how good they are as I'll grab them next time I see them!
-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
www.anaphoria.com