Gounod’s piano music

I was looking for some choral music today, a piece out of Mors et Vita which I have already loved. Unfortunately I find it hard to find stuff on Google Music sometimes and a search brought up a load of Faust but no Mors et Vita. There aren’t too many recordings of the choral version of it lying around although an orchestra transcription pops up now and again. This is what I was looking for:

It is a great recording. Well worth buying. Michel Plasson did some great stuff with Gounod – I think it’s his recording of Faust I have too. Anyway the choir kicks in after about 2 minutes. Absolutely great stuff. I know this is a piano blog but seriously, you need to have an open mind.

However, Google did reveal that there was a new album of piano music by Gounod lying around, by Roberto Prosseda. I’ve been listening to it since I switched away from the Pearlfishers by Bizet this evening and I have to say it is gorgeous. From the opening La Veneziana, to the variations on Bach’s Ave Maria.

I’m not sure what sort of piano they used for the recording Prosseda seems to use some historic instruments and this has very much the feel of una corda. In particularly, I like this piece here:

It’s the opening track on the album and rather gorgeous. I’m tempted to go looking for it. ETA: Sheet music is here.

 

Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto

Mostly, if you ask me what my favourite piece of piano music is, I will most likely answer Rach 2. It’s a wonderful piece of music and I love it. No matter how bad things are the second movement will give solace to my soul. The opening chords are extraordinary, and my hands are unable to play all of them. The arrival of the orchestra changes the colour of the world. There is no other piece of music quite like this, not even any of Rachmaninoff’s other works although the Rhapsody comes close.

This is my piano site. It has had a hard birth but it is here now. I intend to use it as an honest broker in my new world of piano.