Glass: Glassworlds, Vol. 2 : reviews

Scott Noriega (Fanfare - March 2016)

Horvath performs the works…the way that Glass would like to himself. And there is hardly a higher compliment that one could pay to a performing musician.

Rob Haskins (American Record Guide, January 2016)

[Horvath]’s a fine pianist with a virtuosic charisma and a thoroughly romantic view of these pieces. That’s perfectly appropriate… The approach works especially well in the extroverted 15, and Horvath’s formidable technique serves the much more minimal 10 just as effectively. On the more lyrical side of the emotional spectrum, Horvath’s fine use of rubato gives Etude 2 an expressive immediacy that other performances I’ve heard lack.

Glass’s etudes are a bedrock of his keyboard music, and with advocates as compelling as Nicolas Horvath, I suspect they will become extremely popular works with concert pianists.

Stephen Smoliar (Examiner.com – September 2015)

Horvath should be recognized as a pianist capable of bringing rich expressiveness to Glass’ music without compromising “the letter of the text,” so to speak. If the etudes were initially conceived primarily for technical proficiency, Horvath has found a way to endow them with a far more subjective approach that frequently borders on the visceral.

Horvath can perform these etudes in a way that brings intense expression to their abstract qualities without ever overplaying his hand, so to speak, that one can, indeed, listen to these twenty etudes in a single sitting as a “virtual concert experience.”

Glass Notes - Richard Guérin

Nicolas Horvarth's hyperactive version of the etudes

Patrice Imbaud (L'Education Musicale - Mars 2016) "A découvrir absolument !"

Un cycle polymorphe, véritable climax dans les compositions pour piano solo de Glass. Nicolas Horvath, éminent spécialiste de Glass, donna la première création mondiale de l'intégrale de ce cycle à Carnegie Hall en janvier 2015, un marathon pianistique, une expérience sans doute unique que l'on retrouve dans cet enregistrement enchainant les vingt études dans un flux continu nous plongeant dans le monde mouvant et tourmenté du compositeur américain. Un cycle reconnu comme une des pages les plus belles et les plus inventives de Glass, « premier corpus où je convie pleinement le monde des pianistes dans le mien » déclare le compositeur….

John Dyer Baizley  (aperfectmonster.com - 24 june 2016) Album du jour

I can’t help it, I always jump straight to Etude 5. I know it’s “on trend” to give Philip Glass big-ups; there’s a reason for that. These compositions, played exclusively on piano, are incredible, whether you’ve studied classical in some stuffy institution, or you simply enjoy melodramatic, atmospheric music. “Etude no. 5” is such a crushingly sad song; Lydia Deets would no doubt love writing and trashing suicide while listening. And it’s helped me get into the headspace i require to make art. There are dozens of versions of the etude i’m focusing on, all worth listening to. Put down your grindcore mixtapes for a few minutes and get with it!

Steve Holtje (Culture Catch, January 2016 - Best Classical Albums 2015)

Not to slight Glass’s own considerable talents, but Horvath has a richer tone, and the Etudes really blossom under his fingers; as he plays them, there is no denying their place in the Etude tradition

Emilie Munera (En piste ! 28 Avril 2015)

On vient de recevoir la suite d'une intégrale signée Nicolas Horvath dont on vous avait dit beaucoup de bien l'année dernière et vous allez vois que ce nouvel opus ne déçoit pas dans l'interprétation, on peut discuter de la musique mais pas de l'interprétation, et ce sont les études que l on entend ici, 20 études au total reparti en deux livres. .

Et c 'est toute la difficulté quand on écoute les 20 études , elles sont écrite dans la même veine , il y a un socle commun , mais avec toujours des différences, et j'imagine que pour les identifier ou en tout cas donner une personnalité une identité , ça doit être très difficile .

Nicolas Horvath , c'est le deuxième volume qu'il consacre à l œuvre pour piano de Philip Glass , et c'est certainement une intégrale de sa musique qui va devenir une référence .

Paul Muller (Sequenza21.com, November 2015)

Etude 12…opens with strong repeating figures that impart a complex, questioning feel along with cross currents and a swirling, unsettled aspect. Etude 13 is a frantic, slightly out of control piece, filled with powerful scales running up and down that seem almost disoriented at times. By contrast, Etude 16 is smooth and restrained, with a calm, reflective feeling that is beautifully brought out by the sensitive playing of Nicolas Horvath. Number 19 is slower with a series of single, deliberate notes in the bass line combined with nicely articulated counterpoint in the upper registers that produce a more contemporary feel

Nicolas Horvath, with precise playing and imaginative interpretation has made Glassworlds 2 an indispensable reference for the serious enthusiast as well as marking an important milestone in the evolution of the music of Philip Glass.

Piano Bleu

Cela agrandit aussi le "répertoire" des auditeurs, chacun pouvant apprécier pus particulièrement des études différentes. Ainsi Nicolas Horvath indique que la sixième du livre 1 est son bis préféré... mais on peut lui préférer celle qui précède et offre un beau moment de calme tout comme la 16ème, la huitième plus lyrique, la onzième très prenante, ou la ballade qu'offre la quatorzième et la dernière, vingtième, la plus longue et plus originale/ aux autres, et offrant de très belles lumières...

Remy Franck (Pizzicato, November 2015)

Bei Grand Piano ist ‘Glassworlds 2’ erschienen. Nicolas Horvath spielt sämtliche zwanzig in zwei Büchern erschienenen ‘Etudes’, Stücke, die zwischen 1991 und 2012 komponiert wurden und von der Fantasie des Komponisten zeugen, das nicht zuletzt wegen einen breiten Spektrums von Dynamik und Tempi. Während im ersten Buch mehr die Technik des Klavierspiels im Fokus steht, geht es Glass zufolge im zweiten Buch mehr um die Sprache der Musik, mit neuen Strategien von rhythmischer und harmonischer Bewegung. Wie schon auf der 1. CD investiert sich der monegassische Pianist Nicolas Horvath voll und ganz für diese Musik und bleibt den 20 Stücken technisch und ausdrucksmäßig nichts schuldig

Loïc.P (Silent City, October 2015)

Nicolas Horvath ne dénature pas les études, il leur en donne une nouvelle dimension. Habitué à être dans une bulle envoutante, presque un cocon, en écoutant du Glass, cela est complètement balayé pour laisser place à un ensemble impétueux. Comme si N.H. voulait nous sortir de l'image monotone et simpliste que peuvent avoir les détracteurs du compositeur.

C'est un album puissant, qu'il vaut mieux écouter dans l'ordre, pour observer l'évolution du compositeur au fil du temps (le livre I et II ayant des années d'écart). On y retrouve du romantisme, de la mélancolie, du drame, de la passion... Un panel d'émotions changeant toutes les 4 minutes. Si je devais résumer grossièrement, le Livre I est plus tourné vers l'émotion, le II étant plus fougueux.

Je pourrais vous en faire l'éloge encore longtemps, seul le fait que vous l'écoutiez me rendra heureux. Heureux d'avoir pu vous faire découvrir le talent de deux grands artistes réunis le temps d'une collection, les Glassworlds.

Grego Applegate Edwards (Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review, November 2015)

The brilliant Lisztian-Rachmaninovian virtuosity that Nicolas Horvath brings to the cycle generates a good deal of bravado and even excitement. It makes of the Etudes a series of grand flourishes, of tumultuous outbursts that become something more than a sort of rote attention to the motifs would give you.So it all comes across as music with powerful impact. In Horvath's hands these are convincing torrents of pianistic energy! Bravo!

Stephen J. Nereffid (Music is Good) - Favourite classical albums of 2015 #12

the two sets of etudes from 1995 and 2012 add a dash of romanticism to his familiar style.

Michel Bosc

Il faut s'appeler Nicolas Horvath pour mener à bien des entreprises aussi passionnées et ambitieuses ! Un CD incontournable pour les amateurs de Glass

Michel Dutrieue ( klassiek-centraal - 17/08/16 ) **** Glassworlds, pianomuziek van Philip Glass : Warm aanbevolen.

De étuden vormen de perfecte balans tussen repetitieve virtuositeit en poëzie

David Denton (David's Review Corner, September 2015)

The French-born pianist, Nicolas Horvath, has these works in his repertoire, and it shows with the natural flow of his performances, his range of colours being the key to the disc’s success. Somehow they have shoe-horned almost 84 minutes onto the disc, and the sound quality remains in the premiere league.

Dionys (Inactuelles) Dans le fleuve impétueux des métamorphoses de la Vie

Pour le deuxième volume de son intégrale des œuvres du compositeur américain Philip Glass, le pianiste Nicolas Horvath a choisi de présenter l'intégralité des vingt études pour piano.Pour avoir moi-même, voici quelques mois à peine, écouté en concert Philip Glass interpréter en concert quelques-unes d'entre elles, j'étais "préparé" à ce choc qu'est l'écoute de ces vingt pièces, mais je ne m'attendais pas à l'ampleur de la révélation.C'est une musique qui emporte, qui touche, sans se soucier des étiquettes : minimaliste, romantique, classique, elle jaillit avec une naïveté et une force que rend à merveille son interprète. Nicolas Horvath porte cette musique de toute sa fougue, de tout son amour pour le compositeur, et cela s'entend. Il est ce qu'il joue, passionnément, entièrement.

La première étude sonne comme du pur Glass, à la fois par la mélodie et le flux. On reconnaît sa marque de fabrique, mais on est séduit par la variété mélodique, la complexité du contrepoint. Menée allègrement, c'est une étude virtuose, presque étourdissante, dansante. La deux m'a surpris : les premières mesures m'ont rappelé irrésistiblement l'une des plus belles pièces pour piano du vingtième siècle, "In a landscape" de John Cage. Hasard ? Réminiscence ? Je ne sais. Elle réussit à concilier la veine mélancolique avec la force de sa partie centrale. La trois est travaillée par des répétitions insistantes, des grondements graves. Pièce orageuse, sombre, fracturée, d'un dynamisme quasiment rageur, éclairée d'une envolée dans les médiums. La quatre est plus noire encore au début, mais l'amoncellement de nuages est touché par des éclairs de grâce, des enroulements magiques ébouriffants avant une coda d'une brièveté sévère. La mélancolie revient avec la langoureuse étude cinq, d'une immense douceur pour décliner les accords glassiens les plus reconnaissables. Autoportrait sans fioritures en homme sensible, c'est une pièce bouleversante, une halte dans ce premier cycle souvent agité, tumultueux. La six renoue avec une virtuosité étourdissante, chantante, orchestrale, puissamment découpée par des attaques vigoureuses, tandis que la sept, tout aussi vigoureuse par moments, semble plus inquiète, tirée vers une intériorité qu'elle masque par des fanfaronnades mais qui s'affirme sur la fin de la pièce tout en demi-teintes, prélude à la belle numéro huit, aux mélodies si naïves, que Nicolas Horvath détaille avec une grande sensibilité et dont il souligne les passages les plus complexes d'un phrasé clair, limpide. La fin élégiaque en est superbe.

Pourquoi changer de paragraphe alors que le livre I n'est pas terminé ? C'est que pour moi, l'autre Philip Glass commence ici. Dès les premières mesures de l'étude neuf, j'ai frémi, soulevé, STUPÉFAIT, par la beauté confondante de cette pièce inattendue, nettement en dehors des mélodies et motifs du compositeur. Philip Glass se laisse aller à une poésie incroyable. C'est étincelant, vigoureux, et en même temps mystérieux, intrigant. La dix, dernière du Livre I, joue des boucles jusqu'à créer des amas sombres traversés de fulgurances. Quelle puissance ! Et dire qu'on trouve parfois la musique de Philip Glass mièvre, douceâtre !! Rien de tout cela : voilà du magma brut, décoré de médiums ou aigus survoltés, ça roule, charrie jusqu'à la dernière seconde. La onze continue dans une veine grandiose, voilà du Beethoven minimaliste, déchaîné, lyrique jusqu'à la transe. Magnifique, je tombe à genoux, j'embrasse compositeur et interprète, terrassé par la beauté terrible, ombrée d'une belle fin sombre, une des plus belles du cycle, annonciatrice d'un troisième Philip Glass, qui sait ? Si la douze paraît plus glassienne sur le plan mélodique, elle multiplie les variations internes, se gonfle d'une énergie irrésistible, d'une verve opératique indéniable. Le flux des boucles serrées est d'une incroyable densité, laisse éclore des bulles mélodiques magnifiques, se charge aussi d'une émotion intense sur la fin. La treize carillonne, joyeuse, débridée, tel un cheval décidé à sauter tous les obstacles qu'on a l'impression d'entendre hennir de plaisir. La quatorze semble un flot soulevé par une houle profonde. La musique de Glass prend une dimension océanique confondante. Certains s'attendaient peut-être aux piécettes d'un vieux monsieur un peu gâteux et on découvre au fil du cycle l'univers d'un créateur en pleine possession de ses moyens, qui creuse magistralement ses sillons et élargit de surcroît nettement son cercle ! La quinze en est l'illustration flamboyante, sorte de marche triomphale à la parure somptueuse, qui se permet des pirouettes narquoises par-dessus le marché. Avec la seize, on revient à la veine élégiaque, ou plutôt contemplative : simplicité du chant, recueillement touchant, mais la musique de Glass ne s'y attarde guère, bouillonne à nouveau, d'une jeunesse pétillante qui secoue le voile mélancolique dans la partie centrale de la pièce. La dix-sept oscille entre atmosphère voilée, retenue, et grandes envolées martelées de fortes frappes. C'est l'une des plus longues du recueil, dépassant les six minutes. L'ampleur des développements est impressionnante, le sens du contraste saisissant. La suivante, qui revient autour de trois minutes, est agitée, crescendo ondulant qui reprend à peine souffle. L'avant-dernière, plus longue, s'abandonne à cette seconde veine, minoritaire dans le recueil, d'une introspection plus sombre, d'une lenteur très relative, encore parcourue de frissons mélodiques liquides et agités. À nouveau l'esquisse d'un troisième Philip Glass ? L'étude vingt, magistrale, n'en annonce-t-elle pas aussi la venue ? Accents déchirants, beauté voilée, quelque part du côté de Schumann et Scriabine, un Glass moins éblouissant, libéré de lui-même en un sens.

Précisons que Nicolas Horvath a choisi de quasiment enchaîner les vingt études, nous plongeant dans ce monde dynamique et mouvementé par une coulée pianistique ample, loin de certaines interprétations compassées, trop sages (et l'on en trouve sur la toile !! Je ne citerai personne...). Oui, Glass est un hyper lyrique, un romantique dans le meilleur sens du terme ! Que la prise de son du Steinway est formidable : on est dans le flux ! Que le livret trilingue (anglais, français, allemand) est vraiment intéressant : on y trouve notamment le parcours de Glass retracé à grands traits, les réflexions et analyses du pianiste sur ce qu'il joue et la manière dont il le joue, bref ce qu'on ne trouve plus que trop rarement.

Un second disque déterminant pour changer l'image de Philip Glass qui, à bientôt quatre-vingt ans, montre qu'on peut être à la fois populaire, voire (ô le gros mot !) commercial, et l'un des plus grands compositeurs d'aujourd'hui, en perpétuelle métamorphose, insaisissable, pour notre plus grand plaisir.

Melanie Garrett (Primephonic - 09 February 2016) Rating : 5 Stars

Horvath applies a Romantic interpretation of the Études, which greatly emphasizes their expressive nature and brings the etudes to life. The recording successfully captures his full, versatile sound. His creative interpretations of the Études provide an essential addition to both piano music, and the recordings of Philip Glass’s compositions.

Études 1 opens with four powerful chords followed by alternating passages that ebb and flow like waves. Horvath’s performance is powerful and he

is able to create a tremendous range of dynamics and expression despite the virtuosic technical demands.

Étude 2 is gently performed, nearly creating a lullaby atmosphere. Études 3 and 4 are much more dramatic and intense, with much variety and turmoil while Horvath and Glass return us to a brooding sense of serenity in Études 5.

Étude 6, commissioned by the Sydney Festival in 1996 is an emotional study, and begins the transition to more and more aggressive-sounding études, which Horvath builds up with ease. Étude 8 begins with alternating half-steps which gradually speed up, reminiscent of the music from Jaws. This idea returns throughout the Études, the precursor to a simple, recognizable melody. By Étude 10, an unsettling energy prevails, with many surprising outbursts in the bass.

The first numbers of Book 2 are quite dark and frantic, however by Étude 13, a sense of calmness begins to take over. Étude 20 is gently performed and much slower than the previous etudes, creating a large cycle, perhaps representing the cycle of life.

my meetings with composers

Recently, i realised that i totally forgot to update my blog as i had so many things happening, many concerts and crazy projects ...

And also to keep in touch with a very close friend, i used to post a very lot of pictures on Instagram.

Yes it was fun, but after a while , well like all social medias (Facebook too) a bit boring as its directness miss some content too.

As most of you already knows, i really enjoy performing new music, meet new composers. And only recently i started to take pictures with them !

So here some nice pictures i did with them (the list might get bigger when i will do more pictures)

The pictures are put there in no special order

Denis Levaillant , Regis Campo and me

(at Denis Levaillant recording studio)

This is the last (up to Jan 2016) that i did with my 2 French favorite composers / friends

Denis Levaillant is the first composer that really trusted my piano playing. It goes back to one of my very first concerts in 2010 when i was invited in Italy to do a Chopin Recital and did .... 1 hour Chopin and 1 hours of French Avant Garde ! Denis was so happy of my idea that he gave me some piece to world premiere !!

Regis Campo on the other hand, i met him later. It was thanks to the fantastic pianist Jay Gottlieb. I was in touch with Jay as i was "supposed" to do a Philip Glass Festival in Monaco in 2011. Unfortunately the Festival (who was on its very last stage of preparation) totally failed for extremely stupid reason (well it's serious unfortunately). But, as i did not want to loose 3 months of work, i used my most crazy idea for other festivals such as the 3 Glass Concertos in a row or the Glass Marathon.

What Régis has to do there ? Well , Régis loved my ideas andwhile we were talking we got a very "strange" idea ........ and ............ if i was going to ask composers to write hommage to Glass ?

Yes ! GlassWorlds very first concept came from this discussion !

Of course Régis did a fantastic piece. He has a very fun and nice musical style !

Danny Elfman (and me)

Last october 2015, i agreed to play in an orchestra (no, not on concerto, but the pianist waaaaaaay back in the orchestra). I really never wanted to do that, but .... here it was too much attractive : Danny Elfman was there !!!!! And , come on .... everyone loves Tim Briton movies ! and ... it was on a huge huge hall (Grand Rex) and many concerts too. Well , i had my solo moment (you know when there is the piano moment in the Corpse Bride, and .... i could see myself on the giaaaaant projector ! amazing!!!) but more interesting : i was able to work directly with Danny Elfman as time to time i had solo moments with him singing ! Yeah !!!!!!!

Jaan Rääts (me) and Ebba Rääts

As many might have understood, Jaan Rääts is really my big discovery. It goes back to 2012 when i discovered his music by total luck (no words can describle that better). First the little pieces that i found on internet were not that fantastic. But once they invited me to their place, and gave me a total access to all his archives .... ho my gosh !!!!!! What i had under my eyes was so amazing ! I can easily said that i am one of the few real Rääts enthusatc (i even did his only official website!)

Here we were working on some Sonatas. It was video recorded (in case i forget), and ... it was so funny to see Ebba and Maestro agruing about Maestro own music ! Also i was so touched by their hospitality. After the piano parts , we used to talk (with a nice bottle of red wine and a candle) until very very late in the night !

I am performing his music quite often, always with a lot of success ! There will be some very interesting projects in the near futur with this composer. So .... stay tuned !!!!

Fabien Saillard (and me)

This time it was in Menton, as we just ended visiting the Cocteau museum there (it happened after the "last minute" cancellation of my BIG concert with the OPMC : the 5 Liszt concertos in a row.... That was hard time ......

Anyway, i am glad Fabien was there as we had very nice time together ! I met him in 2010 as i was jury in an international competition near Lyon. We were both jury there and liked each other very well !

Fabien is a very great electroacoustic composer, i like his style very much . We have some projects together and i can't wait for them to happen !

Frédérick Martin (and me)

A french composer that i met a long time ago. I don't remember exactly how, but once, as i was digging out of a lot of contemporary pieces and found out his 1st Piano Sonata who was pretty amazing. In Prague i performed its 2nd Movement and after posting a video on YouTube, the composer contacted me. We had some very fantastic discussions together and he also wrote me 2 pieces : his incredible 6th Sonata , and a Prelude. I am glad that slowly by slowly he is getting more and more recognition !

Jean Michel Damase (and me)

In 2011 i had the honor and pleasure to meet JM Damase during a masterclass course. As a teenager i was not very much found of his very "french music" (at this time i was really much into late romanticism) , but i was very please to meet this lovely man, who actually was the only one (in the big list of maestro who's i worked with) who gave me advices on Erik Satie music ! We also had a nice talk and .... he was really looking forward the releases of my albums.... too bad i could never gave any of them to him ....

Another picture with Régis Campo and Denis Levaillant (and me)

This one was made after a recital i did for the launch of my Liszt Christus album. It was in Paris ' American Church and my program was ... a little too long. But both of them loved it !!

Frédérick Martin was also there (as i premiered his 6th Sonata) , but too shy to take a picture with me.

Ludmilla Yurina (and me)

This was taken in Kiev last November 2015 after a fantastic 2 pianos recital of all Jaan Rääts 2 pianos music with the great Lorenzo Meo. My Kiyv friends told me for a long time about this composer, and after some talk on internet , i was really extremely pleased to meet. She also gave me some very interesting piano music scores and now i am looking forward having an opportunity to perform them 

(me and) Masashi Hamauzu

I had the pleasure to meet this legendary video game composer after a concert he did in Paris with his band. I was invited by my friends from Wayo that introduced him to me. In his hand you can see my Liszt Christus album , and i played (as i was not aware that i would meet him) Scriabin Vers la Flamme. Hamauzu compose a very nice piano music , very much inspired by Ravel. He had a very interesting talk, and i am looking forward his newer compositions (and specially his etudes)

(me and) Michel Merlet

One of the composers i was really looking forward to meet. As a student i always regarded Michel Merlet as a great french figure. And i was so happy to be pretty well matching. I am looking forward playing his music when it will be possible. We had some talk about possible projects , but ... well ... we will see.

(me) David Chaillou and François Nicolas

Here enjoying a very nice talk involving many topics about music , mysticism, russian avant garde, electroacoustic ..... and who knows .... new projects as well ?

Was very surprised to learn that David knew i was doing electroacoustic compositions when... i am so silent about it ...

Paul E. Epstein (and me)

One of the minimalist who really has his own touch. We have been talking for quite a lot of time , and we have some projects together. I really like his bell like technique (no , nothing like the Pärt thing ! luckily for us ! ) . He wrote me 3 pieces so far : One hommage for the GlassWorlds project , one short piece for my Carnegie Premiere and also a very long piece that should be recorded (by me) soon.

Jaan Rääts congratulating me after a concert were a played some of his pieces

Well everything is in the title ^^

Too bad Maestro could not come to Milan for the World Expo Closing day Recital ... i am sure he would have been extra touched by the success his music has !

Terry Riley (and me)

YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was able to meet the Legend !!!!!!!

And also i was SOOOOOO much touched, when ... as i introduced myself he replied : "ho yes i know you, what you do is wonderful, when you come to the US, please come to see me, i want to listen to you"

Well ..... i think there is no word able to describe the state of bliss i was at this time (and still is!)

(me and) Valentin Silvestrov

Yes, i was also very honored to meet this Ukrainian Legend !

It is very fun because at first ... well .... he was like "impossible to get near" . But as some of you know, when the Maydan revolution and bloodbath happenned , i did not cancel any of my tour concerts in Kyiv (and had blasting success). Also i performed some of his music at those time. So ... after hearing what i did, he was so much touched that he started to gave me almost everything he had (musically speaking) : all his personal recordings (40 hours of piano by himself !!!) , his scores , some manuscripts .... as much as i understood it was presents for other personns , but ... well ... he really wanted to give all that to me , with an open invitation to see him at anytime in Ukrain !

Unfortunately last time i was there, i was too much over busy with the Rääts tour, but next time .... you can count on me !!!!!

Steve Kornicki (and me)

A nice picture taken on september 2015 in Orlando one day after i just performed my GlassWorlds there. Steve had written me a fantastic mix (piano + electroacoustic) piece , and i was really happy to finally meet him (yes i was there when i performed the piece). Public really loved it as it is energetic and powerful ! I am looking forward more of his pieces !

William Susman (and me)

A nice picture taken after my Carnegie debut where i performed a nice piece he wrote for my GlassWorlds project. He is a "kind of" minimal composer, but not in the way we can imagine it. He composed a fantastic cycle of pieces "Quiet Rythms" .

Also i was so happy to have finally met him as we are pretty well fitting ! Nice intense and interesting talk !

We have some great projects for a near futur ..... stay tuned !!!

Laszlo Horvàth (me) , Melaine Dalibert & Giuliano D'Angiolini

Yes not a composer on the photo ! Well Laszlo and me are not family related at all ! This great Abstract Photograph and me will do some verrrrrry nice things in a near futur !

Also Melaine is a very nice composer i know for year. He is doing some very abstract minimalist music , imagine Jean Catoire or Morton Feldman but ... more abstract !!!! He says to use some fractal technique .... but his style tends to be bit more lyrical on each new composition

Giuliano is a great italian composer , there should be some very nice things coming soon with him too

Robert Sarrade (and me)

Robert Sarrade is a pretty famous composer of Sardanes (a very special danse from South West of France) , i premiered one of his and we performed it couples of times (with danser and even once with a cello and him doing the flute ! ). It was always very fun, specially with those music , there is extremely few on the scores and everything has to follow the dansers themselves (with their strange beats )

LP Duo , Sandra & Jeroen Van Veen (me) and Antonio Correa

This pictures had been taken during a Canto Ostinato XL Festival where we performed all together for the grand finale (Simeon Ten Holt 's Canto Ostinato)

I know Jeroen van Veen for couples of years as he was one of the very very early birds to compose a Glass Hommage, he also wrote a 2 pianos pieces. Unfortunately i could never play it (as i don't do often 2 pianos concerts unfortunately). He was always kind and introduced me to a lot of very strange minimalistics pieces and composers. It is great to see his evolution thought his great numbers of Minimal Preludes. I am really looking forward the pleasure to see his new music and also to perform with him !

Antonio Correa was met during this festival. It was for me quite a stunning shock. It would be difficult to describle his style. Maybe a mixture of late Morton Feldman and John Cage 's Dreaming ?

I really liked his music and as a result he wrote a very nice piece to me. I am still hopping for a Glass Hommage as he promised it since quite a lot of time now !

Craig Shepard , Paul A. Epstein (me) and William Susman

Yes again a group picture ! I will this time talk only about Craig Shepard nice and peacefull music.  He is one of the newest composer i met, and curiously , while i was aware (and liked his style) , and was on my way to ask him if he would be interested to be part of my GlassWorlds project, he just had finished a brand new piece that was exactly meeting my expectation ! Fate !

When we met (unfortunately he could not stay for diner with all of us) , he gave me his latest (well on early 2015) album and i was very surprised by his newest compositions , the walking in NYC ...

Again, i can't wait to have more of his music !

Anna Korotkina (and me)

It was after my recital at the House of Composer in Belarus that i had the pleasure to meet Anna Korotkina. She is at the head of the Composer Union in Belarus and has a very strong and personal style, a nice mixture of spectralism and graphic notation (but not too orthodox in both way). I received a nice package of scores and cds and i am looking forward having an opportunity to perform them. Unfortunately it is very difficult to get music from this country as their musical editorial system is purely catastrophic. A whole world to discover !

Olivier Innoncenti (and me)

A wonderful picture made by Olivier 's wife Florence Innoncenti. Olivier is a very gifted electroacoustic composer from Monaco (like me). He is most famous for his ballet. I have the luck to have me Olivier since i am a kid in the Monaco Academy of Music. He was like a big brother to me as he was the very first in Monaco to have won an international competition (he is also a very talented Bayan / Accordion / Egenhard player) , study abroad, having a teacher position in a conservatory .... etc etc .... Now we see pretty often and we collaborate as much as we can (he also participate time to time in my S.A.I. Ensemble).

Kanstantsin Yaskou  (and me)

Kanstantsin is a very great composer from Belarus, i am very happy that he wrote one of the most interesting (in its conception) hommage for my GlassWorlds Project. In fact he was able to see the similarties of Glass harmonic evolution with the Moonlight Sonata and then recreated a Philip Glass version of this cult piece. While i was in Belarus we exchanged a lot and really matched very well. His piece is always very successful and this is why i chosen it to be part of my Carnegie Hall debut !

I am really looking forward his new evolution and chances to meet again !

More to come .... when i will find the pictures !!!

Milan Expo Closing day Recital ! All Rääts recital !

2016 Milan World Expo : Closing Day Recital

Last 31st October 2015 , for the very last day of the World Expo in Milan , I was extremely honored to be invited by the Estonian Pavillon to give a recital for the Closing Day.

Since this Month was exactly the very same as Jaan RÄÄTS birthday month , my idea was to make a kind of musical birthday present. And then ... i programmed a whole recital dedicated only to his music.

For amateur of contemporary music, the recital was very interesting as it displayed music from all his creatives periods : from the begining until the very last piece he composed for my Carnegie Hall recital.

Here is the complete program :

Variatsioonid Op.6 (1958)

Sonaat n°1 Op 11 n°1 (1959) [world premiere]

Prelüüd n° 4 Op.33 (1968)

Tokaata (1968)

Bagatelli n°3,4,8,15,22 Op.50 (1973)

Marginaali n° 1,19 Op.65 (1979-80)

Sonaat n°9 Op.76 (1985 rev.2014)

Eesti Prelüüdi Cm, F# Gm, Op.80 (1988-89)

Autogram Op.110 (1999)

Sonaat n°10 Op.111 (2000 rev.2014)

Radio 4 Op.124 (2004 rev.2014)

Prelüüd Op 128 (2014)

some pictures of the concert

 Succes was just amazing. It started peacefully, as few understood that a concert was really going on. But after 20 minutes and the crazy Tokaata, a huge croud started to gather all around me ! Also many reporters. As much as i remember there were like 3 different huge pro camera (you know the very big ones) , and i don't remember how many people did ZOOM recordings.
But after 40 minutes, as i was into the very strong pieces such as the Sonatas 9 & 10 , Radio 4 and the last Prelude, I had to ask my page turner really to look after me as the public was dangerously too near me (i still need some "space" around me to be able to keep the focus), there were people staring at me who were on the piano itself and also (more dangerous) people trying to take the scores !
Yes many of the scores were manuscripts and as you know composers .... when they gave you a manuscript .... if you loose them , they will never give you another one back !!!!

At the end i had a huge applause, and did 3 Encores :

Satie : Gnosienne 1

Rääts : Sonata 1 2nd movement (as i was not really happy with my first rendition)

Glass : Etudes 2, 1, 16 & 6

After it , well , spent a long time to meet the public who wanted to know much more about Jaan Rääts music , and also answered to some short interviews.

The concert was filmed with my little cam, but .... the croud was so big and the space so tinny that ... no one cared about the cam and so many people were standing front of it .....

Such an amazing moment i will remember all my life . As a child i was staring as World Expo books, and i still remember when my father visited Barcelona World Expo and told me how fantastic it was.
Never at this time i would have dream to be invited to perform in one and .... for a Closing Day !

Portrait and live interview at France Music !

My so dear friends


This Monday 1st Feb 2016 at 9.30 pm , I have the pleasure and the extreme honor to have been invited by "Les Lundis de la Contemporaine" at France Musique, who wish to do a live interview and a portrait of my implication toward the contemporary and actual musical scene.

I had the possibility to organise my own 30 minutes playlist totally freely , so .... as you will see on the program ...  it will be full of surprise and ... with many fields that i do not have the opportunity to really promote

For the one who can't attend it , you will be able to listen to it live , or for 3 years at this link :

http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/le-magazine-de-la-contemporaine/2015-2016/l-invite-nicolas-horvath-02-01-2016-21-30

Some pictures of it :

My Playlist :




Claude DEBUSSY Canope
03:05:00
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
The French Avant-Garde In The 20th Century
Label: LTM – LTMCD 2571


Philip GLASS Orphée's Bedroom (Orphée Suite: II)
01:32:00
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
Philip Glass : Glassworlds 1
Label: Grand Piano – GP677
HD mastering


Philip GLASS Etude n°11 (Book 2)
04:02:00
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
Philip Glass : Glassworlds 2
Label: Grand Piano – GP690
HD mastering


Philip GLASS Sonatina n°2
02:40:00
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
Philip Glass : Glassworlds 3
Label: Grand Piano – GP691
HD mastering


Jaan RÄÄTS Tokaata
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
03:44:00
Live recording


Erik SATIE Vexations (extrait)
01:38:00
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
Complet(ed) Erik Satie Edition Vol.1
Label: Sheva Collection (2016 TBR)
Pre-mastered version


Marcel DUCHAMP Erratum Musical
01:14:00
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
The French Avant-Garde In The 20th Century
Label: LTM – LTMCD 2571


"a little surprise"


Cornelius CARDEW Treatise
(pages 22 à 28 - harsh noise version)
01:59:00
Nicolas HORVATH
Cornelius Cardew : Treatise (harsh noise version)
Label: Sublime Recapitulation Music – hoof070


Terry RILEY In C (extrait)
ENSEMBLE S.A.I. (Live recording)
04:59:00
Guitares:
Laurent JAMES
JUDICAËL
Florian LENIAUD
Eigenharpp: Olivier INNOCENTI
synthétiseur:
Nicolas HORVATH


Nicolas HORVATH Electroacoustic Prelude XXIV
(yes my own music!)
04:02:00
N.Horvath 24 Electroacoustic Preludes
Label: Demerara Records (2016 TBR)


Nobuo UEMATSU ( 植松 伸夫 ) / Hiroyuki NAKAYAMA Biggu Burijji no Shitō (ビッグブリッヂの死闘)
02:42:00
(piano : Nicolas HORVATH)
Live recording



ENJOY !!!!!!

Happy Birthday Scriabin !!!!

Happy Birthday Alexander Scriabin ! (version française plus bas)

With all the contemporary music I am performing, most of the people hardly belive when i say that my favorite composer is Alexander Scriabin (i am still sad that a Scriabin album i was supposed to do is postponned to ..... an unknown time).
Anyway, this is my oldest live recording available. It was made years before i started to work with my first real maestro Gerard Frémy and one week before my meeting with Br...igitte Engerer (for extremely stupid reasons i could never work with her, as she really wanted to take care of me). I was then 18
It is also the very first time i performed with orchestra and of course i choose ? The Scriabin Concerto !
Yes my technique at the time was perfectible, but i like this recording, it reflect a naive time of me, right before i was going to come in Paris and face my first huge personal deceptions
Next week in Monaco, I will perform after 20 years one of my warhorse of the time the Etude Op.8 n°12 aka "Patetico" (and what Jean Yves Thibaudet used to tell to all his friends "the best version i ever listen ot this étude")

Yes i can still say it : i love you Scriabin , i always did and will always do ! Happy Birthday ! ! !

Heureux anniversaire Alexandre Scriabine !

Il est toujours curieux de voir que, malgré toute la musique contemporaine que je joue et soutiens, à chaque fois que je mentionne le nom de Scriabine comme étant mon compositeur favori, cela génère de l'étonnement (on s'attend plus à Glass, voir Liszt ou Satie, rah quelle tristesse que mon album Scriabine ai été repoussée aux calendres grecques ....)
Voici donc le plus vieil enregistrement Live disponible sur ma page YouTube . Il a été réalisé de nombreuses années avant que je commence à travailler avec mon tout premier maître : Gerard Frémy et une petite semaine avant ma rencontre avec Brigitte Engerer (malheureusement pour des raisons d'une stupidité affligeante je n'ai jamais pu travailler avec elle, malgré le très vif intérêt qu'elle avait envers moi). J'avais 18 ans.
C'était la toute première fois que je jouais avec orchestre et qu'avais-je choisi ? Le concerto de Scriabine !
Oui ma technique était à ce moment là perfectible, mais j'aime cet enregistrement qui est un peu pour moi ma madeleine de Proust, un temps qui n'est plus , il reflète le monde naïf dans lequel je me trouvais pour quelques derniers moments , quelques années avant de monter à Paris et d'affronter mes premières grandes désillusions personnelles.
La semaine prochaine à Monaco, je vais jouer, après 20 ans, un de mes chevaux de bataille : l'Etude Op.8 n°12 aka "Patetico" (à l'époque, Jean Yves Thibaudet avait dit à tout ses amis que ma version était "la meilleure version que j'ai jamais entendu" )

Oui je peux toujours le dire : J'aime Scriabine, je l'ai toujours aimé et l'aimerais toujours ! Heureux Anniversaire ! ! !

Siloti's daughter on Scriabin

My dear friends

As you might know, right now after all the concerts and recording i did, i am now preparing all material for futur releases , means .... writting booklets , doing the editing , the checking , organising musicologists about what i am looking for ...

Not really a peacefull vacation !

Also, i still have in mind to do nice longer new articles (i have in mind : last Glass tour in all Paris , last Vexations , and some other such as my Kiev adventure during the eve of the war , or the Glassworlds, the dreamt success in Carnegie ... )

Anyway , until this time , i wanted to share with you a great discovery . Specially if you are a Scriabin lover.

As few might know, Scriabin is my fav composer ! Yes ! Scriabin and not Liszt or Glass or Satie or i don t know whom

And .... honestly .... he is also the reason i worked with Gerard Frémy (assistant of Heinrich Neuhaus)  and Oxana Yablonskaya (who studied with Alexander Goldenweiser) .

Maybe i was dreaming about that ? 

It was also the very first international competition i won , the first concerto i played with orchestra ( i was 17 then ) , i shared with him my serious first love (and deception ! of course it always go together) , my search for absolute and also the unknown (yes i even read Blavatsky ! even if most of the time i had to take aspirin every 10 lines! ) the dark ....

Well to sum it , Scriabin is (since my 16) the composer whom i feel the most close and ... when i play his music i feel completely at home

myself at 18, unfortunately only the end was taped : ) 

a little juveline with a not strong technique at all , but ... very romantic and masculine approach of this fantastic music 

So what is my discovery about ?

Well today i read an article from the incredible label Arbiter records (link to article here) where a wonderful letter from Siloti's daughter describle Scriabin ! Yes !!

So to avoid you lot of search , here it is ! (of course if you visit the page you will have tons of other interesting things if, like me, you love russian music)

the letter : 

it s translation ! 

Kyriena on  Scriabin

Scriabin was a very delicate and sensitive person.

His eyes often bore an expression as if he was “in a different world” as it were…

He was of modest height, with small and elegantly shaped hands. Once after having sung something, he put his hand at the edge of a table and started tapping against it with his fifth finger. When my mother, having noticed this, looked at him curiously, he said that the pinky concerns him and he is testing it.

It was hard to find good performers of his music. I have heard a recording of a ‘poem’ by Sofronitsky, who performed it very well, in a true Scriabin style, but with a slightly added romanticism.

Among other pianists who play Scriabin well, too many treat the loud sections with too harsh a tone. He himself performed them certainly in a loud fashion, providing the inner drama, without harshness…

translated by Dmitry Rachmanov

And to finish ... the wonderful Scriabin performing himself