Comments on: Open thread 6/19/2025 https://thenewneo.com/2025/06/19/open-thread-6-19-2025/ A blog about political change, among other things Thu, 19 Jun 2025 18:14:28 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Liz https://thenewneo.com/2025/06/19/open-thread-6-19-2025/#comment-2807538 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 18:14:28 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=142397#comment-2807538 A couple of fun videos….

https://x.com/washghost1/status/1935448890972451292

https://x.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1935741644101374271

]]> By: The Other Chuck https://thenewneo.com/2025/06/19/open-thread-6-19-2025/#comment-2807501 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:01:06 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=142397#comment-2807501 Brendel was indeed a masterful pianist. Precision, intensity, technique, were his strengths, and add in a fantastic memory. His interpretation of Beethoven was on the mark. He was without peer playing Mozart, Beethoven, and the other great Classical period piano composers. But personally, he was not my cup of tea.

For instance his recordings of Schubert’s Impromptus show a lack of understanding, not only of the music, but especially of the composer who was a Romantic who put melody and emotion at the forefront. Brendel plays them with the same bombast as Beethoven. The precision comes across as mechanical and programmed, without feeling.

But he was undoubtedly a great pianist, far above my puny efforts. RIP.

]]> By: sdferr https://thenewneo.com/2025/06/19/open-thread-6-19-2025/#comment-2807486 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:46:48 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=142397#comment-2807486 Alfred Brendl RIP, 94, 1931–2025 [ https://www.classicfm.com/artists/alfred-brendel/austrian-pianist-dies-age-94/ ]

Ben Laude appreciation (21:58): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JZPltJ_l85E

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