I listen to Radio 3 quite a lot. About a year ago I heard a piano piece that struck me as something really very special. Lyrical perfection maybe? It turned out to be Schubert's "Impromptu No 3 in Gb". I checked it out on YouTube - several renditions incl one by Alfred Brendel.
Brendel, now in his 80s I think, just completed his final concert tour. James Birkett went to one of them. He must be one of the greatest pianists of the 20th Century. Lo and behold I switched channels on TV a couple of nights back and discovered they were broadcasting Brendel from Snapes Malting.
What a player! And what did he finish the concert with? You've guessed it - The "Impromptu in Gb". Maybe it's a piece of art up there at the pinnacle of mankind's creativity? Also I was reminiscing (do that a lot these days) about my early interest in jazz which then was mostly piano - I liked Cuddly Dudley (Moore). On Youtube is his parody on a Beethoven Sonata. I also remember his party piece where he played a sonata but at the gorgeous final cadence, at the last second, he would insert a b7 needing resolution. It went on and on - he couldnt bring it to a close. If Dud hadn't been such a remarkable all rounder where would he have ended up if he had just concentrated on piano? (Lance says "Struggling to pay his mortgage!")
Roly.
7 comments :
Just listened to that piece Roly, just beautiful, the things I learn from this blog...thank you.
Liz
Hopefully he would have toured a lot more, ended up in my town and someone would have "made" me go see him (in case this was before I liked him around 1990). Would have been amazing. Well, if he didn't do movies, I wouldn't have known who he was and become a fan, so that wouldn't work. Okay, he'd play mostly piano but do a movie or two here and there. That would be ideal. :-)
And of course you wouldn't have people saying, "He played the piano?"
Quote from Dudley:
"I can't imagine not having music in my life, playing for myself or for other people. If I was asked, 'Which would you give up,' I'd have to say acting," he said in an interview with The Associated Press in 1988.
I often wonder how well known it actually was that Dudley Moore was such a brilliant pianoman? Certainly, known in UK but in the States? I wonder...
I knew, but then again, I'm a hardcore fan. :-) I keep meaning to show my mom the Audience With Dudley Moore DVD so she can see how cool he was in that department. Most people I talk to online don't even know who he is let alone what he did, though.
Lisa, I visited your site - I guess it's yours - "Forever Moore"? Impressed. Recommended for all Cud Dud fans.
The nearest I ever got to him was when I worked in a music store and I sold a pair of drumsticks to his then drummer, Chris Karan!
Hey Lance! Yep, that's my website. Thanks for checking it out!
Hm, so you touched a pair of drumsticks that basically hung out around Dudley" ;-D I should be glad I never go to meet him. As shy as I am, I would have just passed out. Then I'd wake up, he'd be gone and all I'd have is someone saying how I fell on him and I missed the whole thing, hahaha!
I do own a pair boots he wore in Like Father Like Son, though. Guess that's something. (And no I don't put them on and prance around the room looking at myself in the mirror. They're too small for me. Bwuahaha!)
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