Lisztonian: Classical Piano Music

The first etude in a set of 25 by Burgmuller. I will be publishing all 25 eventually. This recording was made using a couple of new microphones - nothing fancy, but reduces the noise on my recordings. I hope you enjoy this set of etudes!

Here is a short piece by Cesar Franck that I came across in one of my sheet music sets. I love the melody and the way that Franck uses hanging tones to harmonize. This recording is dedicated to a young listener, Sayuri, from Brazil. I hope that she will enjoy listening to this recording!

A brief work that has some surprisingly difficult dynamics to it. This was recorded at my home on my Steinway A III. I hope that you enjoy this recording.

A short work by Samuel Arnold (1740-1802). I discovered this piece in a music compliation book by Alfred. This was recorded at my home on my Steinway AIII. I hope that you enjoy it!

My first recording of a work by Burgmuller. I discovered this work in Alfred's "Classical Music for the Church Service: Volume 2." I apologize in advance if people stumbled on this piece looking for one of the many other works titled, "Ave Maria." :-) This recording was performed at my home on my Steinway A III. I hope that you enjoy it!

Alexander Goedicke was a Russian composer and pianist who, despite having no formal training in composition, was quite gifted in composition. There is little information on this short work, but I find the melody to be enchanting. This recording was performed at my home, on my Steinway AIII. I hope that you enjoy this recording.

This is the 3rd Sonatina in Clementi's Op. 36. I admit that I am not too pleased with how I played this piece and it is definitely one of those that I may have to re-record in the future. But for now, I hope that somebody out there benefits from this release. Enjoy!

It's finally here! I've had a request for the popular "Clair de lune" more times than any other work. I finally committed to recording this a couple of weeks ago and here it is! I hope that my interpretation and recording will not be a disappointment to those who have patiently waited. Clair de Lune, translated as "moonlight" is one of Debussy's most popular pieces. It is a beatiful work that has much room for interpretation. In fact, the debates about how this work should be played can become quite heated. Although it was composed in 1882, it was not published until 1926. Apparently, this piece has had a resurgence of popularity due to the release of the movie Twilight - as it appears as a bonus track on the movie's soundtrack. I've never seen the movie, but if you have, and you liked it, then maybe this recording will mean even more to you. This recording was completed in my home on my Steinway A III piano. I hope that you enjoy it!

This is a recording of the third movement/section of Schumann's masterpiece, Fantasy in C. This movement is one of my all-time favorite works in the piano literature. Edited by his wife, Clara, this work was originally dedicated to Franz Liszt, although later editions did not include the dedication. I view this as a highly passionate and energetic work, despite the deceptively (in some ways) slower-paced tempo throughout this movement. The listener will find a great number of ways to interpret and digest the music presented in this recording, just as I have found so many ways of interpreting it as the performer. I hope that you enjoy my recording of Schumann's Fantasy in C, Opus 17.

As requested by a listener, this is No. 2 of Clementi's Six Sonatinas Op. 36. Recorded on my Steinway AIII. I hope that you enjoy this latest recording.

The Ecossaise is a Scottish dance, usually in 2/4 time. It is known for the energetic rhythm and wide-ranging dynamics. This particular Ecossaise was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1823. This happens to be my first recording on my newly-acquired grand piano! I can't believe how much better the sound quality is on this piano as compared to my previous recordings. Hopefully you will all enjoy the improvement in sound!

Bach's Invention No. 1 in C Major is one of his most well-known works, as it typically makes it into the repertory of most piano students. As a result, I decided I had better make a recording of it. I hope you enjoy my sight-reading recording of Bach's Invention No. 1 in C Major! This recording was made at my home on my studio upright.

I have had several people request that I record some Debussy preludes so here is the first! This prelude is one of Debussy's best-known works. It was composed just over 100 years ago and appeared in Debussy's first book of preludes. This piece is composed after the legend of the city of Ys (pronounced "ees") - which was engulfed in the sea but was allowed to rise out of the sea once each day to serve as a reminder of the great city that was lost. Part of the legend, which is so critical to this work, is the sound of the church bells that you first begin to hear as the city rises from the sea. The piece starts off with the sound of these bells, and after some fantastic imagery, evolves into the resounding and powerful sound of the church's organ. The city then begins to slowly sink again into the sea. The imagery in this work is astounding and Debussy's ingenius interpretation of this legend is deserving of the highest praise.

This is my first recording of a work by Muzio Clementi. I thank one of the visitors to my Facebook page for suggestion a recording by Clementi! Clementi wrote many, many Sonatas (and Sonatinas) for the piano and was considered the first great composer for the piano (or pianoforte). His works were inspirational to many great musicians and composers including Beethoven. I hope that you will enjoy my recording of this complete Sonatina (all three movements).

This is the first variation on the Aria from Bach's famous Goldberg Variations. This set of variations on a simple Aria is one of the greatest keyboard works available. Bach demonstrates his unique capability to compose so many different styles of music within the constraints of counterpoint as well as the theme upon which the variations are composed. The entire work is truly a brilliant masterpiece of music. This recording of the first variation is a bit premature as you will notice several slip-ups and some problems with tempo consistency. However, despite being away from the piano for several months I wanted to release something to keep the website fresh, so I dug up this recording out of an archive. Despite the obvious weaknesses, I hope that you will enjoy my rendition of the first Variation from Bach's Goldberg Variations.