I'm Back

So I’m back, it’s been a long time but I’ve been working on NaNoWriMo so I didn’t have words to spare I’m afraid. Which means I’ve missed most of Australian Music Month, which is a pity after all the stuff I did on French composers. I will endeavour to have a look at some Aussies over the coming couple of weeks in the same way though.

I have to admit a lot of contemporary Australian classical music isn’t entirely to my tastes, possibly I just need to hear it more often. There are some pieces which have grown on me over time and that without them being heard all that often. So you never know, continued exposure to that style – I can’t define it specifically sorry – may help.

That said there are also some that I absolutely love and I look forward to exploring over the next few weeks. For now I’ll leave you with two short youtube videos – one Aussie and one not.

The Australian one is not what would usually be called classical music. It’s a song by a Melbourne duo called The Jane Austen Argument who fall into a delightfully vague genre called punk cabaret. I say vague because the bands that fit into it don’t fit anywhere, they just are, their music is what it is. And I think some of this duo’s songs do fall within the overarching umbrella of classical music, at least as much as other songs written by ‘classical’ composers. So here is one, for you delectation and consideration.

The second video I’m sharing simply because it is breathtaking in its beauty and its virtuosity. James Rhodes playing Felix Blumenfeld's Study for the Left Hand. I find James Rhodes to be a truly remarkable person and absolutely gifted pianist. He loves to play his piano and explore the music; just listen to him talk about this piece, it’s a real passion and it’s infectious. No pomposity, just a love of the music and a desire to share it with others.