Favourite Things

My Favourite Things

A life in music is a life of listening. This is pianist John McArthur's weekly online journal of reflections on some of his favourite musical moments.

Chapter 21

Leo Brouwer's “Un dia de Noviembre” - Graham Anthony Devine, guitarist
This is such a charming, almost rainy day...He sings through his guitar and we sing because of it.
Chapter 20

Franz Liszt's “Totentanz” - Raymond Lewenthal, pianist
There is much to be said for bucking tradition whether as an act of defiance for a good cause or as an act of intelligence firmly rooted in forgotten events or history.
Chapter 19

Charles-Marie Valentin Alkan: “Allegro alla barbaresca,” Op. 39 No. 10, Marc-André Hamelin, pianist
This is a fantastic piece of music expertly written for the piano. It is the 10th in a set of 12 etudes written in the minor keys and is accompanied by another volume of 12 etudes Alkan wrote in t...
Chapter 18

Maurice Ravel “Ondine” from “Gaspard de la Nuit” - Gülsin Onay, pianist
In Onay’s hands, Ravel’s thirty-second notes provide mood and remind us that this is an aquatic setting. Never does she use those notes to display technique, as many do, but she has them take a bac...
Chapter 17

Kevin Puts' "Aria" - Tim Fain, violinist
Beauty can find us, often finds us in surprising places and at inconvenient times; moments when we expect anything other than that which stills us, removes us from the circumstance to the present t...
Chapter 16

Debussy's "Preludes, Books One & Two" - Ernest Ulmer, pianist:
There are a great many recordings of these beautiful pieces and some offer really wonderful playing however this collection by this artist holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons...