An interesting coincidence...

The Mad Hatter

Four of the six finalists in the Dublin Axa Piano Competition have teachers on the jury.

How very odd...

I hate politics in music.

Pianist2891

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

Four of the six finalists in the Dublin Axa Piano Competition have teachers on the jury.

How very odd...

I hate politics in music.

As someone who went to every single round (:eek:) - because I didn't want to have opinions that were biased or based on not hearing some competitors, I am absolutely gutted at the choice of finalists with the exception of Alexej Gorlatch and Eric Zuber. Politics in music is unavoidable, particularly in competitions at this level, even though jury members are not allowed to vote for their own students. :mad:

TheBandit

I was at the early semi on saturday, it was my first time to attend and i have to say i was very impressed. I started listening to piano regularly after picking up the instrument a few months ago. It was great to see some of debussy prelude's come to life instead of listening to them through speakers. To my mind all the pianist where excellent and i'm wondering how the judges(Pretend the politics don't exist) pick one over the other?

oh... and does anybody know the name of the first piece played by Sasha Grynyuk in the semi's? I really liked the sound of it

The Mad Hatter

I've heard reports of a Polish pianist who fairly messed up Beethoven's Op. 111 and some Chopin and got through over a Korean pianist who played Brahms beautifully.

I haven't actually heard any of the pianists so I don't really know, personally...

banquo

What the hell is the point of having a jury that has restrictions on how it can vote?

Pianist2891

Takemitsu's Raintree Sketch Number 1!!

TheBandit

Pianist2891 wrote: »

Takemitsu's Raintree Sketch Number 1!!

Thanks for the reply, thats a great piece. Takemitsu is now on my list of comopsers that i have to check out.

This wasn't the piece i was thinking of however(from recordings i found on the net). The piece was almost percussive at the start, with a strange rhythm. The hands stared close together around two octaves up from middle C. Any idea what it could be?

stabu

the only thing I find is that some of today's megastars kinduv came 4th or 6th in competitions.

there's a suspicion that the winner will sell out to some corporation, say UBS, for poster-boy/girling. So it's the 4-6th placed competitors .. those ... yeh, dem.

The Mad Hatter

TheBandit wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, thats a great piece. Takemitsu is now on my list of comopsers that i have to check out.

I think you won't regret it

Pianist2891

TheBandit wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, thats a great piece. Takemitsu is now on my list of comopsers that i have to check out.

This wasn't the piece i was thinking of however(from recordings i found on the net). The piece was almost percussive at the start, with a strange rhythm. The hands stared close together around two octaves up from middle C. Any idea what it could be?

Grynuk began with the Takemitsu!!

He then played the Ligeti Etudes
Der Zauberlehrling, then the dreamy Arc-en-ciel, then Fanfares.

Then he played the commissioned piece by Byers, a Full Moon, and finally the chopin preludes op 28!

The Mad Hatter

Pianist2891 wrote: »

Grynuk began with the Takemitsu!!

He then played the Ligeti Etudes
Der Zauberlehrling, then the dreamy Arc-en-ciel, then Fanfares.

Then he played the commissioned piece by Byers, a Full Moon, and finally the chopin preludes op 28!

I've just been told by a friend that Grynuk started with Ligeti, and the Bulgarian guy started with Takemitsu.

Pianist2891

I stand corrected (said the man with the orthopedic foot)!!!

Yes Evgeny started with Takemitsu! Sasha Grnyuk just played the Ligetis, the Byers and Chopin!

Too much piano music is making them all blur into one giant pianist :eek:

Dr Gradus

This Friday for the final right?

Pianist2891

Dr Gradus wrote: »

This Friday for the final right?

Thursday and Friday (3 competitors each night!)