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Music over martinis, and a bird or two

May 31, 2006
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Many thanks to The New Yorker's Alex Ross for the mention today in The Rest is Noise, the smartest, funnest, hippest music blog in town.

"Mozart and Rachmaninoff swap trade secrets over martinis before sailing off into the Balinese sunset together," writes Joshua Kosman in the San Franciso Chronicle, describing Poulenc's Piano Concerto in D Minor (as performed this week by Katia and Marielle Labèque with the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas.) Ok -- this I need to hear. Urgently.

Down to the Kennedy Center this afternoon to interview Leonard Slatkin for a story on the Mahler 8th, which he's conducting with the National Symphony Orchestra next week. Charming, candid, and hyper-articulate, he churned out an endless chain of quotes while I sat back and loafed. A journalist's dream. More next week.

And, because Leila's 12th birthday is coming up, here's that old charmer Jean-Pierre Rampal, with birds:

Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at 10:39PM by Registered CommenterStephen Brookes | Comments3 Comments

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Reader Comments (3)

Yes, you do need to hear it. I went to one of the performances, and though I already knew and admired Poulenc's music, this piece (the two piano concerto) came as a total surprise. It's fun and great, a surprisingly rare combo.

By the way, your Kosman link doesn't seem to work.
June 1, 2006 | Unregistered Commentersfmike
There's a distinct gin-slings-on-the-verandah, Somerset Maugham air about the slow bits (scattered among all three movements) of Poulenc's Sextet for Winds and Piano. It's perfect for what a friend of mine calls the "I bringing mangoes for Mother" scene in movies where a Dusky Maiden modestly casts her eyes down on meeting a Fine Specimen of American Manhood.
June 2, 2006 | Unregistered Commenterrootlesscosmo
Thanks sfmike -- got that link working now -- SB
June 2, 2006 | Registered CommenterStephen Brookes

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