Mily Balakirev’s oriental fantasy ”Islamey”

Stravinsky’s Les Noces

A coffin on a gondola, a ballet dancer with no pants on, an anti-patriarchy show, a royal scandal and a Russian peasant wedding ceremony - this and more, as well as tons of great music in our longest episode so far. And here is a list of the people mentioned in the episode: * Adam, Adolphe * Beecham, Thomas * Bonynge, Richard * Boulez, Pierre * Chaliapin, Feodor Ivanovich * Currentzis, Teodor * Debussy, Claude * Diaghilev, Sergei Pavlovich * de Falla, Manuel * Fokine, Michel (Mikhail Mikhailovich) * Gergiev, Valery Abisalovich * Gershwin, Ira * Goncharova, Natalia Sergeevna * Jurowski, Vladimir Mikhailovich * Karsavina, Tamara Platonovna * Larionov, Mikhail Fyodorovich * Mussorgsky, Modest Petrovich * Nezet-Seguin, Yannick * Nijinsky, Vatslav Fomich * Nijinskaya, Bronislava Fominichna * Nikisch, Arthur * Ozawa, Seiji * Pavlova, Anna Pavlovna * Poulenc, Francis * Prokofiev, Sergei Sergeevich * Ravel, Maurice * Reiner, Fritz * Respighi, Ottorino * Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai Andreevich * Rubinstein, Ida Lvovna * Satie, Erik * Strauss, Richard * Stravinsky, Igor Fydorovich * Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich * Tcherepnin, Nikolai Nikolayevich * Weil, Kurt

Mily Balakirev’s oriental fantasy ”Islamey”

The world's most difficult solo piano piece and its nationalist antisemitic author are the hot topic of this episode. Is it all that simple though?..

Season 2 introduction

After 2 years of silence, Pizzicato Ost returns with a second season. This introduction episode presents the concept and the idea of the new season.

Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an exhibition" (pt. 2)

We continue talking about the great piano suite, where babbling French ladies mix with an even old witch, and a gate is wearing a helmet... https://spoti.fi/2P94ffW

Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an exhibition" (pt. 1)

The most orchestral of all piano works, a piece that has inspired so many great musicians, Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an exhibition" is our topic for two episodes. Composed as an homage to the composer's close friend, artist Victor Hartmann, the work brings his paintings and sketches to life. Russian, Polish, French, Jewish motifs are all mixed in this suite for piano solo. The recording used in this show is this one: https://spoti.fi/3rm5reb