A specialized skill set

“You know I’m a useless kind of man apart from my music.”
– Tchaikovsky
Cited in: Hanson, Lawrence and Elisabeth (1965) Tchaikovsky: A New Study of the Man and His Music.  London: Cassell & Company, p.179.


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Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord – Psalm 33 (34)
Title: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord Text: Psalm 33 (34): 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9. Alternate verses: 16-23 Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB and piano Product medium: PDF score and part Sample:
Julius Asal on interpretation
On the one hand, I believe that to connect tradition and innovation is the most important thing to me personally. On the other hand, to explore the score and be close to what the composer wanted is essential. There is a way to find your own language within the details that the composers left. Julius […]
Claudio Arrau in Newcastle
While the Century Theatre in Broadmeadow (Australia) primarily operated as a cinema, it was also hosted concerts, including by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. On one occasion, Claudio Arrau performed in the theatre, as recalled by Harry Armstrong: With only a few minutes to go before the famous pianist was scheduled to commence his performance, which […]
One Week
Title: One Week (silent film soundtrack) Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: Piano Product medium: PDF score BACKGROUND: Film:        Directors: Edward F. Cline & Buster Keaton        Starring: Buster Keaton, Joe Roberts, Sybil Seely        Date of release: 1920        Synopsis: A newly wed couple receive a generous […]
Doing what I can’t do
“I am always doing what I can’t do yet in order to learn how to do it”. – Van Gogh, painter, in a letter to Anthon van Rappard, 1885  
Content of art
How can you expect a beholder to experience my picture as I experienced it? A picture comes to me a long time beforehand; who knows how long a time beforehand, I sensed, saw, and painted it and yet the next day even I do not understand what I have done. How can anyone penetrate my […]
Rachmaninoff’s concert routine
Reporters described Sergei Rachmaninoff on a concert tour (c. 1940): His punctuality is a legend.  If a reporter asks for two minutes of his time, two minutes and no more are given.  Consequently he arrives at a concert hall on the dot of 8 and goes on the stage precisely at 8:30.  If the concert […]
Man’s capacity
“There is no man living who isn’t capable of doing more than he thinks he can do.” Henry Ford, American industralist Cited at: Quotations Book
It’s Oh So Quiet
In 1995, Bjork released a big band jazz cover of Betty Hutton’s 1948 hit “Blow a Fuse”. This was a cover of an Austrian song “Und jetzt ist es still” by Hans Lang and Erich Meder. Bjork said of the song: Isn’t that the best song you’ve heard for five years? In a way it […]
Nino Rota on happiness and music
“When I’m creating at the piano, I tend to feel happy; but – the eternal dilemma – how can we be happy amid the unhappiness of others? I’d do everything I could to give everyone a moment of happiness. That’s what’s at the heart of my music.” Nino Rota, Italian composer. Cited at: Wikipedia.