A good example of fast v slow might be Glenn Gould’s two recordings of the Goldberg Variations. Almost 30 years apart. Gould said his technical abilities were pretty much the same. The Aria in the second recording is half the speed of the first! ‘55 recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nCQV_mywLk ; ‘81 recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43sTxRVpRBM. But three of my favourite slow pieces would be Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, Vivier’s Lonely Child, and the 8th movement of Messaen’s Quartet for the End of Time :).
I'm not sure how you would evaluate them, but are you familiar with the band Maps and Atlases? They have some very fast work, but also great melodic complexity and expression, I think
Tree, Swallows, Houses is the album that showcases the faster, frenetic side: really rapid finger-tapping guitar and bass work, as well as very technical percussion.
Their later work slows down and simplifies, but keeps the melodic and rhythmic richness. You and Me and the Mountain, released just one year later, already shows this change.
I think that it was Charles Rosen who said that Liszt's piano music always sounds harder to play than it really is, whereas Brahms made a point of writing piano music that is much harder to play than it sounds. It is slow but it lies very awkwardly to the hand and the harmony is rhythmically mysterious. (Radu Lupu seems to have adopted the technique of abandoning modern technology and trying to look and dress like Brahms in order to nail the slow je-ne-sais-quoi of the late intermezzi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Ao5cbSzq4&t=1s.)
Except for the one time that Brahms broke character and decided to write a crazy Italian-style showpiece that is exactly as difficult as it sounds. Soloists should wear a crash helmet and play it as fast as they dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVRCKnXNHE8
Thank you, Secret Squirrel! I've been meaning to read Charles Rosen since forever. I have one or two of his books but still haven't gotten around to them.
Thank you for the links: I'll listen to them when I've got a bit of time to give them the attention they deserve.
A good example of fast v slow might be Glenn Gould’s two recordings of the Goldberg Variations. Almost 30 years apart. Gould said his technical abilities were pretty much the same. The Aria in the second recording is half the speed of the first! ‘55 recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nCQV_mywLk ; ‘81 recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43sTxRVpRBM. But three of my favourite slow pieces would be Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, Vivier’s Lonely Child, and the 8th movement of Messaen’s Quartet for the End of Time :).
Can’t believe I forgot about Gould’s Goldberg Variations! It has been a long time since I’ve heard them - I must listen to them again soon.
I’m a JJ Cale devotee. And yes, it’s very hard to play so laid back you’re almost falling off the stage.
You're right - that type of groove sounds so relaxed but is very difficult to achieve!
I'm not sure how you would evaluate them, but are you familiar with the band Maps and Atlases? They have some very fast work, but also great melodic complexity and expression, I think
I am not, but I'll listen to them today. Thanks for the tip!
Tree, Swallows, Houses is the album that showcases the faster, frenetic side: really rapid finger-tapping guitar and bass work, as well as very technical percussion.
Their later work slows down and simplifies, but keeps the melodic and rhythmic richness. You and Me and the Mountain, released just one year later, already shows this change.
Gymnopedies by Satie. Proves your point.
Great choice!
I think that it was Charles Rosen who said that Liszt's piano music always sounds harder to play than it really is, whereas Brahms made a point of writing piano music that is much harder to play than it sounds. It is slow but it lies very awkwardly to the hand and the harmony is rhythmically mysterious. (Radu Lupu seems to have adopted the technique of abandoning modern technology and trying to look and dress like Brahms in order to nail the slow je-ne-sais-quoi of the late intermezzi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Ao5cbSzq4&t=1s.)
Except for the one time that Brahms broke character and decided to write a crazy Italian-style showpiece that is exactly as difficult as it sounds. Soloists should wear a crash helmet and play it as fast as they dare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVRCKnXNHE8
Thank you, Secret Squirrel! I've been meaning to read Charles Rosen since forever. I have one or two of his books but still haven't gotten around to them.
Thank you for the links: I'll listen to them when I've got a bit of time to give them the attention they deserve.