The Pianist

Count Basie, an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer, was born on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey as William Basie. He is considered one of the best bandleaders of all time and changed the entire jazz landscape. He also shaped the mid 20th century pop music and earned the title “King of Swing”. Both of his parents, Harvey and Lillian Basie, were musicians. He started piano at a very early age with his mother giving him his first lessons and played the drums in his…

have something to work for. Regardless many Jews knew that to their despair, it was a false statement. A moderate percentage that had been captured knew the Germans would lie in their efforts to dispose of them. We could relate this to the Film “The Pianist” Directed by Roman Polanski. The film is based around…

mezzo forte level. There was at times quick staccatos and accents, however I heard very little crescendos and diminuendos. If there was anything more I would have liked from the piece it would have been a broader range of dynamics that came from the pianist. Even when the baritone had nothing to sing, the constant monochromatic sound from the piano was unmoving. However, as my disappointment about the lack of adversity coming from the piano invaded my thoughts, the mood of the piece shifted to…

Ellington rejected an art scholarship and instead decided to devote his time to his first love music especially to the piano. Ellington decided to divide his studies between commercial art and music. Duke Ellington is most known for his outstanding pianist ability, his great leadership skills as a conductor, and his creative songwriting ability. Duke Ellington parents were both talented and musical. When Duke Ellington was 7 he began piano lessons and earned the nickname duke because a…

Plink! Plink! That is the sound the piano keys make as a pianist presses down each key and chord. The piano captivates me in many ways. It is a beautiful instrument used to make music by pressing a key with your fingers and, with your foot, pressing down on a pedal to carry out the beautiful sound. The piano can be extrodinarily captivating for many people. The beautiful sound and the grace of the pianist are but a few reasons why it is so mesmerising. Formerly named the piano-fortisimo, the…

Mr.Jolley explained the reason that why he picked some of the pieces. His choices gave the music he played a personal feel, so it felt like it came from his own experiences. When Mr.Jolley played the first piece, which was a Villanelle with the pianist, it was very intertwined, and the match between the piano and the french horn were very harmonious.…

especially string quartets and string quintets, and the piano sonata, during the classical period. Furthermore, the classical period is between the baroque and romantic era, and approximately between the years 1750-1820. Also, Mozart was not only a pianist he also wrote many operas such as “The Magic Flute”, ‘The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni”, “Cosi fan tutte” and many more. Additionally, Mozart has written many orchestras such as his most famous Eine Klein Nachtmusik.…

Living a life faced with adversity it is truly remarkable the lasting impact Billy Strayhorn was capable of having on the development of jazz. He is acknowledged for being an exceptional pianist, composer, arranger and possessing one of the greatest compositional voices in the 20th century. He was truly an under appreciated revolutionary force decades ahead of his time, even while being the first closeted then out black gay man in a particularly homophobic environment of an all black male jazz…

Hans Christian Andersen, an author and pianist, said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” ("Hans Christian Andersen Quotes" 2006). Through research, it is apparent that this quote is a reflection of each composer’s personality. Piano composers have changed dramatically through the ages. Each composer has their own style of music which varies with the time period. Composers from different musical eras show how musical compositions have changed throughout the years. George Frideric Handel, composer…

Music is a very complicated piece of art in which it is composed of passion, emotion, and tension. During the eighteenth century, music became a great role in people’s social and academic lives. Frederic Chopin was a Romantic Era (eighteenth century) pianist, which meant that he not only composed music during the Romantic Era, but his music was influenced by that era as well. He set aside many hours working on each note, making sure it was perfect and it would not be finished till everything…