by Marvin J. Ward

Ashburnham & Springfield, MA, 4 & 6 October 2009. In the space of 48 hours, I heard recitals of some of the chestnuts of the virtuoso repertoire by 2 pianists at the start of or early in promising careers.  There were similarities and important differences between the performances, both played entirely from memory, of programs that did not include any of the same works, but were both spectacular and impressive.

by Marvin J. Ward

Ashburnham, MA, 20 September 2009. It is difficult for a pianist wishing to play a program of Chopin not to play a complete program of “chestnuts,” so popular are the composer’s works, which are also relatively few in number, the published ones rising only to Op. 74.  Consequently, Finley, of necessity offered more than a few when he played a program this afternoon on the Frederick Collection’s 1840 Erard concert grand piano.

by Marvin J. Ward

Worthington, MA, 16 August 2009.  Pianists Robelyn Schrade and Judith Lynn Stillman became close friends when they were students together at Juilliard in NYC, and have never lost contact.  Stillman joined Schrade today for the final classical program of this Sevenars season.

by Marvin J. Ward

Worthington, MA, 9 August 2009. The guest ensemble on this season’s Sevenars Concerts series [Read our earlier feature item about this now 41-year-old series elsewhere in these pages.] this afternoon was the Enso String Quartet.  The group formed in 1999 when its members were students at Yale.  According to its website, the “name Enso derives from the Japanese Zen painting of the circle which represents many things: perfection and imperfection, the moment of chaos that is creation, the emptiness of the void, the endless circle of life, and the fullness of the spirit.”