So J.K. Rowling (the author of the Harry Potter Series) hasn't told anyone yet, but there will be an 8th book called Harry Potter and the Russian Virtuoso. HaHaHaHaHa!!
Oh my, this photo is SOooo priceless. I just couldn't resist when I saw it. Well if you haven't already figured out who this is, it's Dimitri Shostakovich, also known as Shosty. Well when he isn't fighting other wizards with his "chosen one" powers, Shosty composes. Okay, I need to stop with this Harry Potter business. Here we go, most often Shosty is associated with the image of the suppressed composer who fought against the Stalin regime. This is very true and might be even a little sad. Was he hampered as a composer? Maybe, I don't think so. His writing might have been worse has he not been so watched. After his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, which caused a HUGE problem because of one sex scene, he was more closely watched. He tried to justify the scene by saying that it represented pre-revolutionary Russia. That didn't work too well.
His piano music, just like his other music, is very distinct and contrapuntal. After listening to all of his preludes and fugues one day, several years ago, I came to a conclusion that about 4 of the 24 are worth learning. With that said, he isn't as consistent as Bach, but . . . who is? Of those 4 that I liked, the final one, number 24 stuck out the most. Why, you ask; well for starters it's in D minor. I think I enjoy the symphonic writing and the simple subject in the fugue. With this one, he just got it right. Sometimes that happens.
So the next question is who is the Russian virtuoso?
(see pimp below)
Prokofiev was the man. I shouldn't even have to write anything about this guy. Have you heard any of his music? Let's take a random piece, how about, the second piano concerto? This is the cadenza, go listen and then get an ice pack for your brain:
This is just the tip of the iceberg with Prokofiev. His great works are uncountable. From his "war" sonatas to his etudes to his singles like the toccata, he dominates the piano repertoire. As you can tell, I like his music.
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