Hi guys,

I have been studying these last few days, for the conservatory, the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven in C# minor and Chopin's Study no. 1 in C Major.

It still astonishes me, five weeks later I have started studying it, how the Moonlight Sonata is such a dark and sad sonata. I think that Beethoven was trying to explore the lower sounds of the Piano and created a great movement, which sounds like an improvisation (as the title "Sonata quasi una Fantasia" suggests), with the left hand as a "basso continuo" proper to Bach's time and the right hand creating the melody with, at the same, time the broken chords which accompany the melody and the "basso". The right hand's ascensions create a tension, rapidly removed by the following descensions. I think that Beethoven searches the essential language of sadness for the loss of something very dear to him.

Chopin was a great pianist and composer, everybody knows that. But he was also a great piano teacher. The studies are the perfect example of what Chopin wanted his pupils to do to aquire perfect technique. In the first one of the Opus 10, he composes a succesion of arpeggios up and down the keyboard with the right hand and the melody on the low and dark chords of the left hand. In the fourth in C# minor, Chopin composes a melody in the right hand and the left hand repeats it trying, in some sort of way, to "reach" the right hand. The rythm in both of these studies is very fast, nearly diabolic.

Well, what did you think? I hope you have liked it.
Oops, time to go... In Spain we eat at nine.
See you,
MANU

Hi guys,
I have been busy these last few days because I am preparing my Audition of the "Pathétique" Sonata by Beethoven. But, yesterday, my friends and I had a great time setting the Nativity Scene and singing carols around the piano at home.

At a special spot of the house, Luis Moure's sculpture "Nativity" was already awaiting...

But, before that, in the morning, we had taken the blue box from the top shelf of the corridor's cupboard as in the book "Merry Cristmas with JOAQUÍN RODRIGO".

Of course, we sang traditional spanish carols...

We also sang carols like "Jingle Bells", "Adeste Fideles", "Holy Night" or "Hark! the Herald Angels sing"...

So MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!

Hola amigos,
Ayer tuve la gran suerte de asistir al concierto de la Orquesta de Cadaqués, dirigida por Gianandrea Noseda, en el Auditorio Nacional de Música.

Las obras que se interpretaron en la primera parte del concierto fueron la Sinfonía "Clásica" de Prokofiev, en una interpretación perfecta en todos los aspectos, y el Concierto-Capricho para Arpa de Montsalvatge, interpretado por el francés Xavier de Maistre, en una interpretación que bordó el solista. El éxito del harpista nacido en Toulon fue tal que tuvo que hacer dos bises: el intermedio de "La vida breve" de Falla (que os dejo abajo) y unas variaciones sobre el tema del "Carnaval de Venecia".

Hi friends,
yesterday I had the great chance to go to a concert at the Auditorio Nacional of Madrid in which the Orchestra of Cadaqués played conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.

The works played in the first part of the program were Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony", in a great performance, and Xavier Montsalvatge's "Concerto-Capriccio" for harp, played by the french harpist Xavier de Maistre, in which the great skills of this great musician were so perfect that he had to make two "encores": Falla's dance from "La Vida Breve" (shown just below) and some variations on a theme of "A Carnival in Venice".

Después, el concierto terminó con una más que brillante Sinfonía "Italiana" de Mendelssohn (del que os dejamos el cuarto movimiento). En resumen, fue una gran tarde en la que las emociones fueron un plato fuerte.

Later, the concert ended with Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony (we leave you with the fourth movement).

Hasta luego / See you later
MANU

Hola amigos,

El otro día asistí a la presentación de un libro muy especial: "Feliz Navidad con... Joaquín Rodrigo", que corrió de la mano de Cecilia Rodrigo (hija del Maestro), de Cecilia León (nieta del maestro y presidenta de la Fundación Victoria y Joaquín Rodrigo) y de Georgina García Mauriño (la autora del cuento y creadora de las páginas web Cuentameunaopera.com y Mirlomusic.com). La presentación estuvo acompañada también por unos "villancicos" de Joaquín Rodrigo incluidos en el cuento, interpretados por Sonia de Munck (soprano) y Aurelio Viribay (piano)...

El acto fue un éxito rotundo y es que las ilustraciones de libro que se proyectaron acompañaban perfectamente la excelente interpretación de los músicos...

El cuento ya está disponible en la tienda online de Mirlomusic.com...

Hi guys,

I went the other day to the presentation of a very special book: "Merry Christmas with... Joaquín Rodrigo". The book was presented by Cecilia Rodrigo (the daughter of the Maestro), Cecilia León (grand-daughter of the Maestro and president of the Victoria and Joaquín Rodrigo Foundation) and Georgina García-Mauriño (author of the tale and founder of the web-sites Tellmeanopera.com and Mirlomusic.com). The presentation was all the time illustrated by some of Rodrigo's "christmas carols" included in the book, played by Sonia de Munck (soprano)and Aurelio Viribay (piano)...

The event was an enourmous success because some of the illustrations (from the book) were shown to the audience and they matched exactly with Rodrigo's music...

The book can already be purchased in Mirlomusic's online shop...

Hasta luego / See you later
Manu

Hi friends!
It's been a wonderful summer in France and in Ezcaray! Also, this course beginning has been a little difficult at school and in the Conservatory. I must say that I'm excited to begin classes at the conservatory, as all the subjects seem very interesting: Piano, Chamber Music, History of Music, Composition, Accompaniement & Alexander Technique! WOW!

I leave you now with Prokofiev's Classical Symphony, a favourite in my spare time!

Goodbye,
MANU