DAVID HATTNER’S FEBRUARY PLAYLIST

Posted on February 4, 2019

PYP Musical Director David Hattner shares what’s currently on his playlist. Revamp your own playlist with selections from our PYP Playlist on his Twitter every #MusicMonday.

Here are some old favorite performances I have enjoyed.

Vladimir Horowitz was unique among the pianists of his era. Even during his career, his playing was a throwback to another era. He was never better than in the miniature works he included often in his programs. Here is a live version of a work by Carl Czerny. I was always dazzled by his studio performance of this work.

Bazzini’s Les Ronde des Lutins (Dance of the Goblins) was recorded by Jascha Heifetz in one of his earliest recording sessions in the USA. He was still a teenager. Many older violinists performed the work, but it became much more scarce after this recording.

Maud Powell, a leading violinist of the time, once said of Heifetz “He has a peach of a downbow staccato.” She wasn’t kidding! Powell is nearly forgotten today, but she gave first performances in the USA of Concertos by Sibelius and Tchaikovsky. A tremendous virtuoso who passed away before full length concertos were being recorded regularly.

Finally, a forgotten Australian flutist, John Amadio. He toured the world with opera singers and made early recordings with some of them. His technical virtuosity (on unusual now-obsolete instruments) is staggering.

Stay tuned,