Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at Anvil, Basingstoke

[Ian Thumwood]

Agreed, it's a rather lovely piano piece. Formally, it's actually a Rondo.
It does stay rather bogged down in C major although its several 'episodes' do temporarily stray away from the home key with some ear-tickling chromatic sideslips, but it never really 'modulates' in a way that produces any real tension or contrasts of tonality.
I would prefer to remember Bix for his awesome cornet improvisatory skills.

Tony

The music is actually a notation of a Beiderbecke piano improvisation. I like his cornet playing too yet these piano pieces (including "In a mist" which he actually recorded) to recast him in a totally different light. I think that he would have been resigned to a sideman's role during the Swing Era but then found himself in a position in the ate 40's and 50's where his harmonic concept would have been more relevant. I do not believe that he would have become a bebopper and rather see him being akin to someone like Art Tatum with the musical savvy and would have left the music of his youth for something a little more orientated towards Chamber Jazz, Together with Eddie Lang, I imagine that these two musicians possibly had their best music ahead of them.

[Ian Thumwood]

Apologies - wrong house.

The Cobbe collection is at Hatchlands which is the other side of Guildford

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hatchlands-park/lists/the-cobbe-collection-at-hatchlands-park

[CGR]

Last night I went to hear a concert given by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Basingstoke which featured the fabulous conductor Marin Alsop. Although she is American, she earned her reputation conducting the local Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and has developed into the kind of advocate for Classical Music that used to be associated with sir Simon Rattle. She has so much energy and enthusiasm for the music that her name will put bums on seats.

......

Now this could really open a can of worms and kick off a really interesting thread. Unfortunately like other topics here on the Jazz 'bored' it will be read by the usual half-dozen and that'll be that.

How about a Mod moving it to one of the classical discussion groups and we could really have some fun !!!!

[David-G]

Now this could really open a can of worms and kick off a really interesting thread. Unfortunately like other topics here on the Jazz 'bored' it will be read by the usual half-dozen and that'll be that.

How about a Mod moving it to one of the classical discussion groups and we could really have some fun !!!!

Can I second that?

[David-G]

I think I am correct in thinking that later pianos had a lighter action which facilitated composers like Chopin to produce compositions where faster runs could be executed.

Actually, the reverse is true! The early pianos were lighter in all departments - wooden frames, lower tension on the strings, lighter hammers. This made the actions incredibly light and responsive. This is one of the joys of my 1804 Broadwood square piano - I can execute (and control) ornaments with amazing ease. The same was true of an early Broadwood grand which I played at Finchcocks.

Chopin's favourite pianos were Pleyels. Curiously, the Pleyel at Finchcocks (1840s I think - the Chopin era) had rather a heavy action.