by Mark Ainley /
Feature / Recordings /
4 Comments /
September 30, 2019
It is a tremendous blessing that recording technology has allowed the playing of great musicians of the past to be preserved for future generations. In some cases, we are able to hear performances that came
Alfred Cortot and the Chopin Etudes
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2 Comments /
September 26, 2019
Alfred Cortot was a supreme interpreter of Chopin – he studied with the composer’s pupil Émile Descombes – and fortunately he left us many recordings made over the course of several decades. At times his
Marcelle Meyer’s Last Records: World Premiere Vinyl Release
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3 Comments /
September 5, 2019
Anyone who explores historical recordings is interested in ‘what might have been’ – opportunities for recordings that never transpired, missed chances that were not realized. Fortunately in some cases, new technology and the hard work
Putting It Together: 78rpm Disc Editing
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No Comments /
September 3, 2019
I’ve recently been uploading some fantastic transfers of 78rpm discs made by Tom Jardine, who has generously allowed me to put them on my YouTube channel. In a couple of cases, joining one side of
The Piano Files 10th Anniversary
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2 Comments /
July 8, 2019
When I began my Facebook page The Piano Files with Mark Ainley ten years ago, I had no idea that it would grow to the extent that it has – that wasn’t the intention. It
Harold Bauer
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2 Comments /
July 1, 2019
“My earliest reaction to music, as far as I can recall, was one of fascinated terror.” It seems amazing that a pianist who produced one of the loveliest sonorities ever captured on record would have
A Tribute to Solomon
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No Comments /
April 11, 2019
The distinguished Canadian pianist Robert Silverman and I share a deep admiration for the British pianist Solomon. Over the course of our regular mealtime meetings in Vancouver, we spend hours discussing a wide array of musical
Performing Notes
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2 Comments /
March 31, 2019
After a friend’s piano recital last year, a post-concert conversation amongst a few attendees took a fascinating turn. A teacher mentioned hearing students state a preference for interpretations that are ‘clean.’ We got into an amazing
Dinu Lipatti Birthday Tributes
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No Comments /
March 19, 2019
March 19 is the anniversary of Dinu Lipatti’s birth – though as was recently discovered, Romania was using a different calendar at the time, so that date today would in fact be April 1st. Nevertheless,
A Master’s Voice: Victor Schiøler
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6 Comments /
February 28, 2019
It is truly astounding how some of the most amazing pianists are not as well remembered as some of their colleagues. It is a fact that while many great artists had notable careers, others did