Bach F#m Fugue – which version do you prefer – with or without rubato?
Rhythmic flexibility causes much debate among Classical musicians. Personally, I prefer some rhythmic nuance and find metronomic playing tiring…
Why do we succumb to 18th/19th century classical tonality?
We can give up slavish adherence to western classical tonality to discover and explore the full richness of tonal colour.
Bach sounds like morning sunshine
This Bach Prelude & Fugue in D major from bk 2 of the 48 is full of vigour and optimism.
Chopin’s mastery of bittersweet was extraordinary
Chopin’s Waltz in A minor op. 34 no. 2 is full of melancholy but there’s a warmth that provides solace.
Hear how I stretch the groove in Rachmaninov’s Prelude in D op. 23 no. 4
I love music to make sense and a strong groove is the foundation of musical storytelling. In Romantic music that uses tempo rubato, this means the groove must stretch but not break.
Mozart Fantasia in Cm K475 on Pianoteq’s NY Steinway D
This extraordinary piece is full of drama, incident and a whole range of feelings.
A wistful soulful improv on Pianoteq’s Pianet T
My Korg microKEY is surprisingly expressive to play with Pianoteq.
This composition is called “I know you tried”
Impressionistic and groovy, this piano piece grew from improvisational musings about forgiving someone who hurt you, no matter whether their intentions were good or bad!
Overthinking is a common problem when training musical fluency
Thinking critically, working things out and analysing are great mental skills but in the context of musical fluency training, they can block our ability to focus and let go.
A piano jam using Pianoteq’s “MKII Sweet and Dyna” preset
Improvising over a deep groove, built over a very familiar chord sequence and a little jazz guitar riff on the chorus.