Heres a little bon-bon before I scoot out to Charleston for the Spoleto Music Festival where Ill be meeting my old friends from the Seattle Chamber Music Society.
For those who watch those wonderfully slow and moody Jesse Stone TV movies on CBS with Tom Selleck, there is a classical piano piece that Jesse puts on when he is particularly depressed and is knocking back glass after glass of scotch. Its late Brahms, written when the composer had nothing more to prove to the world and was writing just for himself. His short piano pieces are not difficult technically, but they are very tough to play with the right amount of expressiveness.
This one is contemplative and beautiful. The opening melody in A Major is graceful and is something of a love song. At 1:53 the B section changes to F# minor with a pensive little melody; it switches to F# Major briefly before resuming in the minor. At 3:29, Brahms recapitulates his A section. As always, Brahms re-composes his recapitulations, never taking the lazy way out with mere repetition. The end is utter simplicity. If your screen goes blurry, Ill understand.
Brahms: Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118/2, played by Arthur Rubinstein
That is going to be very interesting, Maestro!
Hubby didn’t recognize the piece and he watches that show. I think he just waits for the action to happen. LOL!
Good evening/good night, Publius...((HUGS))...have a wonderful time with your Seattle Chamber Music Society.
Now I am going to have to listen more closely to the music Jesse Stone puts on. d:o)
Thanks for the bon-bon.