Comments for Jonathan Powell ‒ Pianist http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:56:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on London concert: Friday 22 June by Anonymous http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/2007/06/17/london-concert-friday-22-june/#comment-349 Anonymous Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:21:50 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/2007/06/17/london-concert-friday-22-june/#comment-349 What is the sheet music in this picture? What is the sheet music in this picture?

]]> Comment on Concerts by Chappell Kingsland http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/concerts/#comment-340 Chappell Kingsland Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:07:36 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/concerts/#comment-340 Greetings! It was such a treat to hear you play in Vienna. The program ranged from delicate miniatures by Marx to monumental deluges by Petyrek and Strauss/Sorabji, and all was played with a sensitive combination of power and grace. Greetings! It was such a treat to hear you play in Vienna. The program ranged from delicate miniatures by Marx to monumental deluges by Petyrek and Strauss/Sorabji, and all was played with a sensitive combination of power and grace.

]]> Comment on Recordings by Jorgen Lundmark http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-334 Jorgen Lundmark Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:12:23 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-334 Dear Jonathan, I've been in contact with you before regarding your texts on different composers. Let me start by thanking you for the many excellent recordings of Sorabji's music -- I hope that you'll get to play in Sweden soon! Perhaps a joint recital with Fredrik Ullén? I'm also very grateful for your generosity with mp3-recordings from your concerts. I've just downloaded the first movements from OC and very much look forward to listening to them! I'm very happy to see that you are playing the Strauss/Sorabji arrangement. Ever since I heard Michael Habermann do the Ravel and Bach (C.Fantasia) in concert, I've been wanting to hear this arrangement of the final scene of "Salome". Are there plans for a CD recording? I hope the Strauss foundation isn't making this impossible. All the best, Jorgen L. Dear Jonathan,

I’ve been in contact with you before regarding your texts on different composers.
Let me start by thanking you for the many excellent recordings of Sorabji’s music — I hope that you’ll get to play in Sweden soon!
Perhaps a joint recital with Fredrik Ullén?

I’m also very grateful for your generosity with mp3-recordings from your concerts. I’ve just downloaded the first movements from OC and very much look forward to listening to them!

I’m very happy to see that you are playing the Strauss/Sorabji arrangement. Ever since I heard Michael Habermann do the Ravel and Bach (C.Fantasia) in concert, I’ve been wanting to hear this arrangement of the final scene of “Salome”. Are there plans for a CD recording? I hope the Strauss foundation isn’t making this impossible.

All the best,
Jorgen L.

]]> Comment on Recordings by clint tibbs http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-281 clint tibbs Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:01:51 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-281 Dear Jonathan Powell, I had the good fortune of seeing you perform Sorabji's OC in New York in June of 2004 (at the time, a Ph.D. student in biblical studies at The Catholic University of Americe in Washington, D.C.). I just want to say that your performance that day was beyond words, beyond expression. If it had been recorded for Altarus and sold at retail, that CD would be one of the greatest recorded solo piano performances ever. I am no music scholar or even a pianist, but your performance that day, as well as your CDs of Sorabji's dense and filigreed piano music is some of the most unparalleled there is. Your recitation of the last 5 minutes of the OC brought the house down! I've never heard such cascades and such evenness of otherwise blistering pianism in my life. Your commitment to this music is much appreciated, and, I am sure, it deserves greater appreciation by the music field at large than it probably gets. I look forward to your future Sorabji projects. Please keep up the good, hard work. c. tibbs Dear Jonathan Powell,
I had the good fortune of seeing you perform Sorabji’s OC in New York in June of 2004 (at the time, a Ph.D. student in biblical studies at The Catholic University of Americe in Washington, D.C.). I just want to say that your performance that day was beyond words, beyond expression. If it had been recorded for Altarus and sold at retail, that CD would be one of the greatest recorded solo piano performances ever. I am no music scholar or even a pianist, but your performance that day, as well as your CDs of Sorabji’s dense and filigreed piano music is some of the most unparalleled there is. Your recitation of the last 5 minutes of the OC brought the house down! I’ve never heard such cascades and such evenness of otherwise blistering pianism in my life. Your commitment to this music is much appreciated, and, I am sure, it deserves greater appreciation by the music field at large than it probably gets. I look forward to your future Sorabji projects. Please keep up the good, hard work.

c. tibbs

]]> Comment on Biography by claire whitehead http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/biography/#comment-113 claire whitehead Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:22:57 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/biography/#comment-113 excellent website Jon ! excellent website Jon !

]]> Comment on Recordings by John Oster http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-50 John Oster Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:25:30 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-50 Jonathan, Thank you for posting these wonderful live concerts, especially the excerpts from Sorabji's O.C. I attended that concert (flew from CA just for it!) and can honestly say it was one of the most amazing concerts that I have ever attended. I'm so thrilled to see/hear someone undertaking it and other such transcendental music in an age when most musicians play it "safe" with established repertoire. All the best, John P.S. We met and talked briefly about our mutual fear of flying (among other topics) before the performance. Your concert instigated my first flight in over fifteen years! Jonathan,

Thank you for posting these wonderful live concerts, especially the excerpts from Sorabji’s O.C. I attended that concert (flew from CA just for it!) and can honestly say it was one of the most amazing concerts that I have ever attended. I’m so thrilled to see/hear someone undertaking it and other such transcendental music in an age when most musicians play it “safe” with established repertoire.

All the best,

John

P.S. We met and talked briefly about our mutual fear of flying (among other topics) before the performance. Your concert instigated my first flight in over fifteen years!

]]> Comment on Recordings by Colin White http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-49 Colin White Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:17:21 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/recordings/#comment-49 Jonathan, I would just like to state a few things. First, I find your endeavor to be a grand one, as unappreciated as it may be. I'm not sure how much outright appreciation you receive as a pianist working mostly with modern works, but I want to be the first to state that I am immensely glad you are here. This difficulty of the material you're working with (and conquering) is legendary, and I have no doubt in my mind that you are one of the finest pianists I have ever heard touch the keys. The density of this material, and your seeming ease with it, is unbelievable. The endless morass of passages and mazes are easily handled with your skilled fingers. Sorabji has never been given such great justice. I am in awe of the music he has composed, and you bring it brilliantly to life. Thank you very much for posting the first section of his mammoth Opus Clavicembalisticum for free on your site. It is appreciated VERY much. Bravo to you sir! Bravo! -Colin Jonathan,

I would just like to state a few things. First, I find your endeavor to be a grand one, as unappreciated as it may be. I’m not sure how much outright appreciation you receive as a pianist working mostly with modern works, but I want to be the first to state that I am immensely glad you are here. This difficulty of the material you’re working with (and conquering) is legendary, and I have no doubt in my mind that you are one of the finest pianists I have ever heard touch the keys.

The density of this material, and your seeming ease with it, is unbelievable. The endless morass of passages and mazes are easily handled with your skilled fingers. Sorabji has never been given such great justice. I am in awe of the music he has composed, and you bring it brilliantly to life. Thank you very much for posting the first section of his mammoth Opus Clavicembalisticum for free on your site. It is appreciated VERY much.

Bravo to you sir! Bravo!

-Colin

]]> Comment on London concert: Friday 22 June by Simon and Brigid Starr http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/2007/06/17/london-concert-friday-22-june/#comment-10 Simon and Brigid Starr Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:45:55 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/2007/06/17/london-concert-friday-22-june/#comment-10 Hello Jonathan We enjoyed very much the 22nd June concert, as we did Opus Clav back in 2003 at the South Bank. Ever since I heard that the Salome transcription existed, I have been waiting for a performance and it certainly lived up to expectations. Thanks also for the Scriabin 8th sonata, so rarely performed. For the first time I could appreciate the structure of the piece, which is usually difficult considering that it lacks that obviously noticeable 'saddle point' contained in his other one-movement sonatas. Was it my imagination, or was the Alkan actually harder work than the Sorabji?! Thanks again for a memorable evening and we look forward to your next concert and of course a future recording of Opus Clav. Simon and Brigid Hello Jonathan
We enjoyed very much the 22nd June concert, as we did Opus Clav back in 2003 at the South Bank. Ever since I heard that the Salome transcription existed, I have been waiting for a performance and it certainly lived up to expectations. Thanks also for the Scriabin 8th sonata, so rarely performed. For the first time I could appreciate the structure of the piece, which is usually difficult considering that it lacks that obviously noticeable ’saddle point’ contained in his other one-movement sonatas.
Was it my imagination, or was the Alkan actually harder work than the Sorabji?!
Thanks again for a memorable evening and we look forward to your next concert and of course a future recording of Opus Clav.

Simon and Brigid

]]> Comment on London concert: Friday 22 June by Peter Miklasinski http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/2007/06/17/london-concert-friday-22-june/#comment-9 Peter Miklasinski Sat, 23 Jun 2007 22:08:28 +0000 http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/2007/06/17/london-concert-friday-22-june/#comment-9 Another unforgettable flood of overpowering music. Thank you - Jonathan, thank you - composers. Another unforgettable flood of overpowering music. Thank you - Jonathan, thank you - composers.

]]> Comment on Hello by Thomas Pilkington http://jonathanpowell.wordpress.com/2007/05/18/hello-world/#comment-2 Thomas Pilkington Thu, 24 May 2007 16:09:51 +0000 #comment-2 So glad there's eventually a website! Too many artists haven't got enough online presence. You seem to have a great one - Thanks. So glad there’s eventually a website! Too many artists haven’t got enough online presence. You seem to have a great one - Thanks.

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