July 10, 2010

Leave Music Alone

Filed under: Diary Entries — Tags: athletes, music, pet scan, positron emission tomography — admin @ 1:08 am

So, how can we just leave music alone? A fast-paced culture together with beeping gadgets and state-of-the-art computers have created a phenomenen known as ‘music in a bottle syndrome’ which is basically ubiquitous music that you can access quickly and easily sometimes even with the push of a button. Sometimes, going to a piano recital today is like going to a butcher’s shop and asking for 2 kilograms of Rachman’ lard and 100 ml of Prokof’ vinegar. OK, I agree that Rachaminoff’s second sonata is a great piece of piano literature, but how many times do we have to hear it butchered in the same dull fashion, until it becomes so nautious that even a tired, old grub found in the corner of one’s basement seems more interesting?

Tokyo Chopin Monument review

Filed under: Site Updates — Tags: chopin, concert, monument, review, tokyo — admin @ 12:46 am

A concert review following a piano recital given by Daniel Wnukowski in Tokyo, Japan which commemorated the unveiling of a new Chopin monument.

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February 2, 2010

Polish Patriotism

Filed under: Diary Entries — Tags: poland, polish food — Aristophanes @ 2:30 pm

I am proud to be of Eastern European origin – Poland to be specific. It is exciting to know how to speak two different languages fluently and to have extra holidays in the calendar. Polish people love to make a holiday out of everything. For example, there is not only a Mother’s and Father’s day, but also a Grandfather’s, Grandmother’s, and a Ladies day! Poles like to take every opportunity they can to get away from work. There is even a names day where each first name is placed somewhere on the calendar. ‘Daniel’s day’ falls on every December 10th, so you can feel free to lavish me with gifts on that day :)
Poland is also a country with a remarkable history. It has some of the most breathtaking castles (the largest is the Wawel Castle in Krakow) and theatres I have ever seen in my life. The national theatre has the deepest stage than any other theater in Europe.

January 30, 2010

Can You Really Find Free Quality Music Online?

Filed under: Essays — Tags: classical music, essay, free music, internet, musicians, online — Aristophanes @ 7:07 am

Role of the Musician in the 21st Century

By Daniel Wnukowski

The internet has revolutionized the speed in which people can communicate their thoughts, beliefs and artistic values. Are online classical musicians ready to jump on the bandwagon and explore its myriad possibilities, or should they withdraw from its rampant growth and continue to perform in a way that worked for our ancestors hundreds of years ago? This essay will attempt to examine the advantages and disadvantages of using the internet as a means of distributing online classical music to a wide, global audience and offers suggestions to young artists as to how they can utilize its full potential.

July 10, 2009

An Adventurous Life

Filed under: Diary Entries — Tags: adventure, adventurous, college — Eusebius @ 2:05 am

Can you remember the days when you were still in school and everyone was awaiting that last day of school? Everyone was getting frustrated and edgy about the mountainous pile of homework assisgnments, exams to study for, having to see the teacher’s face for the xxx’th time this year. But you knew that after that last day, everything would be over with.

April 11, 2009

Piano Mp3

Filed under: Site Updates — Tags: 2010, chopin, mp3, piano — admin @ 2:11 pm

Choose from any one these piano music mp3s performed Wnukowski.
You can download each file directly onto your computer.

This page is especially designed for the upcoming Chopin year of 2010.

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Piano Videos

Filed under: Site Updates — Tags: channel, piano, videos, youtube — admin @ 2:08 pm

Finally, listen to exciting new piano videos by Daniel Wnukowski
or subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more great clips.

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April 7, 2009

Chief what

Filed under: Diary Entries — Tags: beautiful music, cziffra, improvisation, musicians, rimsky-korsakoff, virtuoso — Florestan @ 6:19 pm

Taken from the old website. Original post date: July 9, 2005

I am often asked to repeat his name…
Cziffra – Gyorgy Cziffra.

(OK, so it’s not as easy to remember as Bond – James Bond.)

But I am very pleased to see the revival of Cziffra amongst today’s listening audience. Gyorgy Cziffra was a Hungarian composer/pianist who lived at the heart of the 20th century’s greatest virtuosi. Although he was born in 1921 to a poor family of gypsy musicians, it wasn’t until 1947 that he was able to grow his career due to military services and even being a POW. In spite of wide acclaim, he (like Horowitz at one point) abandoned his career until the early 1990s when he gave a concert in Paris.

My new piano

Filed under: Diary Entries — Tags: concert grand, instrument, mason and hamlin, music, new, piano, steinway — Eusebius @ 6:16 pm

Taken from the old website. Original post date: June 5, 2005

Recently I purchased a new concert grand piano. I was extremely picky about finding an instrument that would match all my needs. I am one of those notorious customers that will spend hours trying a product only to say “I’ll think about it” at the end.

Jumping off a cliff – Great Pianists

Filed under: Diary Entries — Tags: piano, practice — Florestan @ 6:13 pm

Taken from the old website. Original post date: June 19, 2005

I’ll start with an old Jewish joke:
A man was walking in the mountains just enjoying the scenery when he stepped too close to the edge of the mountain and started to fall. In desperation he reached out and grabbed a limb of a gnarly old tree hanging onto the side of the cliff. Full of fear he assessed his situation.

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