Just to make up for noisy, unedited video on the preceding news event, I thought I’d post this video that some of you have been asking for.
OK, Kathryn’s been asking for it. And her husband. And somebody else, just yesterday (SusanG, it was).
Anyway, this was a piece that Phillip Bush — yes, our Phillip, blog regular — played for the camera right after the clip I posted earlier of Kathryn playing the National Anthem under his professorial gaze.
Phillip’s way good. I think the piece is Brahms. It’s called “Intermezzo,” but then a lot of stuff is called that, right?
Anyway, it shows his considerable talent to good effect.
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Note the way the camera wiggles at the end. That’s because I was applauding, as well as I could under the circumstances…
He just pulled that off the shelf and started playing–amazing!
<3
I could have done without the cicadas in the background, but that's life in SC in the summer!
Thank you! I enjoyed it — Brahms’ Intermezzo in A major, I think?
For some reason I missed the earlier video with KF playing the SSB, so that was a good backlink. She’s adorable, and it’s a nice music room! Phillip’s great, and Brad suffers from Restless Camera Syndrome.
They tried to teach me how to read music when I was a kid, but utter failure. I also failed Typing classes TWICE in college. I was told I’d never get a career where keyboards would be used. Go figure.
Wonderful! Thanks for posting this. Fine logical thinking skills often accompany musical talent and skills, as they certainly seem to do with both Kathryn and Phillip. I was a piano major in college, but only play very occasionally now. I feel guilty about letting all those years of musical training go for lack of use. It’s nice to see others sharing their talents for our benefit.
Brad’s right, there are a lot of “Intermezzi” by Brahms, the title doesn’t really signify much, he just used that title for a lot of the short pieces in A-B-A form that he wrote in the last decade or so of his life, in the 1890’s. @SusanG: there might be more than one in A Major, I forget, but for those keeping score this one is the second piece in a wonderful set of 6 pieces that he grouped as his Opus 118, written in 1893. As with several composers throughout history, Brahms got more interested in how to be concise and understated in his last years. The parallel in literature (don’t know of one offhand) would be someone known for writing huge sprawling novels and then turning to very short stories in their late life. Thanks everybody for your kind words.
That was really superb. Thanks, Phillip! For the record: Brahms’ Intermezzo in A major, Opus 118, no. 2 (minus a couple of repeats) — one of my favorite pieces.
But can he play Smoke on the Water.
Maybe a reason to get back into will come up in the future, @Abba. I too was a piano major at one point, but hadn’t played with any sort of purpose for more than 10 years, and now I’m working hard to retool as a play-by-ear gospel musician since my church needs one. (Luckily, I have a very patient church 😉 ).
If he needs lessons:
Steven, even *I* can play Smoke on the Water, by ear….there’s a reason garage bands loved it!
I bet Susan could bat it out of the park, gospel style, and Phillip could improvise a descant….
Thanks, Burl–the big ole piano is new to me since early June, and we just repainted the room–which is also our living room– ultra-white and pared it way down. It’s very soothing to me…
Abba–I only got serious, again, earlier this year–I had also studied up to college and then again in my 30s. I’m really enjoying it, and Phillip is the most encouraging, inspiring teacher for a neurotic like me! I’m having so much fun.
Despite your multitude of camera angles, I never discernede the brand of the piano. Holding out for endorsement fees?
Plus, why’s there no money in the tip jar?
It’s a Baldwin from the early 70s. It’s super-heavyweight, and hasn’t been voiced yet–which reminds me to call the piano guy who sold it to me.
That “tip jar” I had just pulled from my upper cupboard: it’s the “pitcher” from a cool martini set that my parents got as a wedding present. Since we keep the Sapphire in the freezer and the vermouth in the fridge, we can make ’em right in the glass, so it was super dusty…
Kathryn – Did you watch the video? Can you play it like he did… not one key at a time.
Ultra-white… really? Do you need sunglasses in there during the day? I think my trim is painted ultra-white. Makes me think of some Miami Vice style house… where one spec of dust looks like a giant dirt ball.
Our house is built around a big oak tree, so it’s shaded–there are only windows on one wall facing the oak tree and one just around the corner–two and a third walls have no windows–does it look like you need sunglasses? The video was shot mid-afternoon on a hot sunny day.
On the other hand, it could be like the room in the Ab Fab episode….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfvGq97B7_U&feature=related
go about five minutes in…
Miami Vice would be more pastels, but I do like that clean look. I find that I am more inclined to stay on top of the cleaning, which isn’t that hard when there isn’t that much in a room. We have a German Shedder Dog, so I need to stay on top, but the bare floors are quick to dust mop….
Burl? Did you mean to say something?