“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Ladder of St. Augustine
Attaining great heights
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The Stars Looked Tenderly Upon Us (Tchaikovsky)
Title: The Stars Looked Tenderly Upon Us (Нам звезды кроткие сияли), op. 60, no.12 Composer: Pytor Il'yrich Tchaikovsky (arr. Greg Smith) Instrumentation: Cello and piano Product medium: PDF score and part Sample:
Szymanowski on RavelThe Polish composer Karol Szymanowski wrote of the French composer Maurice Ravel in 1925: Whether he writes a “Rapsodie espagnole”, “Mélodies grecques”, or the almost Viennese “La Valse”, he always remains one of the foremost fascinating representatives of the genius of his race. He assembles all the fundamental elements of that most beautiful culture in […]
Sleepy BearTitle: Sleepy BearComposer: Greg SmithInstrumentation: PianoPerformer: Greg Smith (22 March 2009) Your browser does not support the audio element. Sheet music
I Will Praise You, Lord – Psalm 29 (30)Title: I will praise you, Lord Text: Psalm 29 (30): 2, 4-6, 11-13 Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB and piano Product medium: PDF score and part Sample:
Bernstein on immersive performanceIt happens because you identify so completely with the composer, you’ve studied him so intently, that it’s as though you’ve written the piece yourself. You completely forget who you are or where you are and you write the piece write there. You just make it up as though you never heard it before. Because you […]
Maiky’s recording of Bach’s cello suites“The Latvian cellist Mischa Maisky recorded the Bach’s cello suites “at a small guest house he converted into a studio and called Sarabande, he had a fence built around it with all the notes of the fifth sarabande crafted on the metalwork. He gleefully points out that the studio’s address is 720, his Montagnana cello […]
Master of the Tomb (The Boy and the Heron)Composer: Joe HisaishiArranger: Greg SmithTitle: “Master of the Tomb”, from The Boy and the HeronInstrumentation: Piano Solo This item is available from Sheet Music Direct and Sheet Music Plus.
Handel’s speedy methodMorrell gave Handel the words of Cleopatra’s air “Convey me to some peaceful shore” in Alexander Balus, he cried out “Damn your Iambics!”. Morell offered to change them to trochees and went into the next room to do so, only to find about three minutes later that Handel had set them as they stood.” Dean, […]
It’s two-four … It’s three-fourChopin had a free sense of rhythm. In 1842, Chopin was giving a lessen to Wilhem von Lenz when Meyerbeer walked in. The Mazurka (op. 33 no. 3) was being played. von Lenz recounts: Meyerbeer had seated himself; Chopin let me play on. “That is two-four time,” said Meyerbeer. For reply, Chopin made me repeat, […]
Adequate musiciansHow do you rate your music? We’re not good musicians. Just adequate. Then why are you so popular? Maybe people like adequate music. – Interviewer and the Beatles. Cited in: Jarski, Rosemarie (2005) Great British Wit. London: Ebury Press, p. 203.