This week we are rerunning a series of Songs of the Day dedicated to collaborative pianists by NYFOS co-founder Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on June 24, 2016. Ending the week on a transcendent, serene note, I’m returning to Leonard Bernstein at the piano with baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in Mahler’s “Ich bin der Welt […]
Read MoreThis week we are rerunning a series of Songs of the Day dedicated to collaborative pianists by NYFOS co-founder Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on June 23, 2016. This week I’m still exploring the role of the accompanist, especially from unusual, unsuspected talents. Here is soprano Galina Vishnevskaya who married the famous cellist Rostropovich, […]
Read MoreThis week we are rerunning a series of Songs of the Day dedicated to collaborative pianists by NYFOS co-founder Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on June 22, 2016. Since we’re looking at the art of “the collaborative pianist” I think it’s time to hear from Sir Gerald Moore, perhaps my favorite singers’ pianist. He […]
Read MoreThis week we are rerunning a series of Songs of the Day dedicated to collaborative pianists by NYFOS co-founder Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on June 21, 2016. I once was criticised as having “played like a conductor”. Or so I thought. The critic said later “Oh no, I thought it was wonderful. Colorful, […]
Read MoreThis week we are rerunning a week of Song of the Day dedicated to collaborative pianists by NYFOS co-founder Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on June 20, 2016. This week I want to focus on what we now call the “collaborative” pianist. I believe this is what student pianists now get degrees in from […]
Read MoreWe revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on October 2, 2015. For my final choice of this week’s survey, I have a selection of six from the amazing Shirley Verrett in live concert from the 1960s. Ms. Verrett was a vocal force and a major Met […]
Read MoreWe revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on October 1, 2015. Today’s song is “Let Us Break Bread Together” sung by Jessye Norman, with beautifully orchestrated accompaniment. Antonin Dvorak was an early champion of the Negro spiritual during his stay in New York (and Iowa) in the […]
Read MoreWe revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on September 30, 2015. In our brief survey of the Black American Spiritual this week, we’ve heard from Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson. Let’s hear now from Robert McFerrin Sr. from 1957. Yes, this is Bobby McFerrin’s Dad. Two […]
Read MoreWe revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on September 29, 2015. Today’s Song of the Day features Mahalia Jackson and Nat King Cole in “Steal Away.” The lyrics are “Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus. Steal away, steal away home. I ain’t got long to stay […]
Read MoreWe revisit a week of Black American spirituals curated by Michael Barrett. This post originally ran on September 28, 2015. I have just been baptized in the Colorado River. It wasn’t intentional. I was swept into the rapids of Cataract Canyon about 100 miles south of Moab, Utah. I had several mouthfuls of the the holy […]
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