Posts – Page 13 – The Piano Files

“The Greatest Pianist You’ve Never Heard Of”

by Mark Ainley / Uncategorized / 3 Comments / October 16, 2015

One of the marvels of our technological age is the possibility of new discoveries in musical arenas. Old records are being reissued and made more available than at any other time in history and archival

Living the Classical Life Interview

by Mark Ainley / Interview / No Comments / August 25, 2015

In July 2014, I was interviewed by Zsolt Bognar as part of his Living the Classical Life series of interviews. Although generally until that point the performers had tended to be well-known pianists such as

Resources for Historical Piano Recordings

by Mark Ainley / Uncategorized / No Comments / May 27, 2015

If you are interested in purchasing recordings of the artists featured in my posts, the following sources may be useful – most of which are the labels themselves. I always suggest, if possible, that you

The Firebrand

by Mark Ainley / Feature / Recordings / No Comments / August 19, 2014

The Israeli-American pianist Natan Brand was one of the most fiery of pianists, a towering talent with a mercurial temperament that fuelled his impassioned conceptions. When he died in 1990 at the age of 46,

Benjamin Grosvenor’s ‘Dances’

by Mark Ainley / Download / Preview / No Comments / August 1, 2014

Benjamin Grosvenor’s new album ‘Dances’ launches on August 4, 2014 in the UK and a few weeks later in North America. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to write the booklet notes

The Valse Mélancolique

by Mark Ainley / Uncategorized / 3 Comments / December 31, 2012

For fans of great music, the possibility of a new discovery is always tantalizing. However, there are times when a work is misattributed – the famous ‘Albinoni Adagio’, for example, was written centuries after the

CD Review: Benjamin Grosvenor’s “Rhapsody In Blue”

by Mark Ainley / Uncategorized / No Comments / September 24, 2012

The celebrated British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor has released the second CD in his much-publicized contract with Decca. After last year’s critically lauded solo disc featuring compositions by Chopin, Liszt, and Ravel, his new release focuses

Twilight of a God

by Mark Ainley / Feature / Recordings / No Comments / April 23, 2012

Alfred Cortot’s name is sometimes uttered with disdain for his technical ability at the keyboard. It is indeed a fact that some of Cortot’s performances have wrong notes, something that our sanitized ears today are

Commanding Nobility

by Mark Ainley / Uncategorized / 2 Comments / February 11, 2012

Rudolf Firkušný had the air of a warm-hearted diplomat. His elegant demeanour and refined presence came through both his playing and his interactions with the people in his life. The Czech pianist studied with

Impassioned Elegance

by Mark Ainley / Uncategorized / 4 Comments / July 19, 2011

One of the mysteries of the musical world is how some performers make a huge name for themselves whereas others don’t. There are multiple factors which play into this, luck, attitude, sensitivity, and personality traits

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