My friend Natalie, with whom I visited Auschwitz some years ago, works as a harpsichordist at the University of the Arts in Berlin, Europe’s largest art school and one of the largest in the world. She speaks fluent German, English, and French, though, out of horror and shame, she refused to speak German for a week after our visit to the Lager.
Occasionally she will send me a video of her playing a song on the keyboard, sometimes an original song and sometimes an older one. Today we have two specimens of the latter. The first was sent yesterday, and she describes it as Allemande in F major by Louis Couperin, a French Baroque composer who died at only 35.
Natalie often explains to me what inspired the sending of a song, and here’s the background of this one:
Here is a dance movement I like a lot, it is an Allemande Dance by Louis Couperin in F Major. I recorded it for you as I arrived at school, and was going to send it to you quickly in the morning, and then, well you know what happened…
The music is a bit like a moment in life where one is mildly amused, in general in a good mood. But somewhat without a set plan – should I go for a walk? Or do some painting? Or maybe call a friend and say I miss them? In any case, this day is sunny and pleasant.
That kind of mood..
Be sure to listen until the end, where there’s a surprise:
And a second one, recorded some years ago but never posted here:
This is a Gigue by J. S. Bach from the 1st Partita in B flat major. It sounds to me like two kittens jumping up and down on the keyboard with glee, and I am the mother trying to hold them but failing to do so. 😂
Here is Natalie’s cat, Stupsi, with a comment:
Here she shows some paw! As my teacher Mitzi used to say, we have to play the harpsichord as though we had no hands but cat paws, subtle and ready for anything…
What a calming and delicious way to start the morning! Thank you for this.
I must report that the “Meow” at the end of #1 brought both my d*gs to rapt–and loud–attention. (They are used to the sounds of keyboard instruments, but find it alarming to have them accompanied by cats. 🙂 )
Great sound and feel – I particularly like all the “noises”, like the sound of the keys, the room echo, all these cues as to the genuine nature of the performance – someone really doing something somewhere.
A different example of what I mean : John Bonham’s squeaky bass drum pedal.
As contrasted with programmed, computerized personal soundtracks. No one actually doing anything together anywhere that corresponds directly with a place, time, or object that produces the actual sound we hear. The computer->speaker->ear microcosm.
/rant
Such a nice break from my normal morning routine. There is something almost magical, watching her fingers creating beautiful music. Thank you for sharing.
That was lovely. Back when I was in college I fell in love with baroque music and picked up several cheap albums at the university bookstore for $1.99 each (I remember the price because I could afford it.) Harpsichord was in there. I played it my dorm room and particularly enjoyed nights when I could crank it up — loud — turn off the lights, and watch the snow fall outside my window, looking as if lit within by the outdoor lighting.
My wild days of youth, living on the edge.
Wonderful! I had a good laugh at the end.
Of course these things can be evocative of a number of events. The first one put me into the mind of doing light house cleaning. Done efficiently, but w/o much hurry.
Wonderful music!
Though not strictly the same sort of music, I found for Good Morning this bit in the latest ‘Father-Offspring interview of Prof. Sapolsky (at about 19:32). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HYBJXcfgi4&t=1366s
Beautiful playing! Thanks for sharing these. Impressive memorization as well (it looks like no sheet music is on the stand.)
I play fingerstyle guitar and I have to memorize my pieces. I can almost sight-read guitar tablature; but not quite. I can read standard notation; but definitely not sight-read it, despite the efforts of my first guitar teacher.
I didn’t touch a musical instrument until I was 36 years old (aside from those few weeks of recorder in fourth grade). I’m a decent intermediate player now; and I can play some pretty fun stuff. My message: It’s never too late! It was a big struggle for me, especially at first (and with rhythm!) but perseverance does the trick. Many times I said, “I can’t do this!” But, with more practice, eventually I could. (Parkening’s arrangement of Satie’s Gymnopedie No. 1 is a good example: It took years (years) of practice to be able to play it.)
Getting a piece by the great Louis Couperin as a greeting is like receiving a private communication from Parnassus! Thanks for sharing this, Prof. Coyne!
Thank you so much for posting these, Jerry. And thank you everyone for the generous comments and friendly appreciation. I want to give back a little something to our Master here, who I have come back to over the years for my regular dose of rationality, pointers to so many things I know nothing about, and for a bit of fun. Others contribute wildlife pics, I add a tune. Though I truly wish I could offer some proper Jazz!!! Or more modern tunes… who knows, maybe other artist fans will be inspired to come out of the woodwork too!
Dear PCC, keep up the good work, we all need you. From Berlin where the sun has set already 🙏🙋🏻♀️
Thanks for the videos, Natalie !
I’m v fond of JSB’s first partita, in part because it was the first full-length Bach keyboard work I heard as a child — Dinu Lipatti’s recording. On the piano there have been a couple of stellar recordings of the partitas in the past decade, most notably Perahia, but also Igor Levit and Hewitt. For me, Lipatti’s still sounds the freshest. I wonder whether he discreetly reinforces the bass line here and there, but my ears aren’t astute enough to confirm.
Ah thank you, I had been completely unaware of Dinu Lipatti‘s Bach. Of course for me he is synonymous with Chopin. I very much like the silky sound he gives the Partita, yet never loosing the dancing. Glad I discovered it thanks to you.
Beautiful! Thank you both for sharing!