second?

What blows me away about Chopin is that he could write these exquisite, genteel little salon pieces that could turn on a dime and become passionate, even threatening.

And Valentina Igoshina has the artistic stature to show this. That’s totally HOT!

If we’re sexist pigs (evidently, I am too, cause she’s SMOKIN!), does that mean we can’t be Islamahomomexicommies anymore?

I mean, we WOULD be unclean, right?

I’m not too familiar with Choppin’, but this is good music sound nice tune.

Chopin is v. nice. My favorites, though, are Schubert and Brahms. And Saint-Saens’ third symphony has a special place in my heart.

(I’ve been on a real music-thread kick lately.)

The Halo spot is nice and all, but it was the Gears of War/Mad World commercial that really changed the game. This just extends the conceit: techno-violent shoot-em-up backed by simple adagio. Is it wrong that I’d rather watch Master Chief’s eye light up than the full prelude below?

That’s lovely, Brad. It’s raining here, and for once very quiet. This beautiful piece and the rain together are just what I needed, after a stressful few days. Thank you.

Not to mention that Halo 3 rocks.
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Should I have admitted that?

Fantastic. I’ve always had a thing for chicks who play the piano (see also: Tori Amos, Fiona Apple) and Chopin is one of my favorites (behind Debussy and probably Liszt).

This sounds an awful lot like a song by Schopann I heard. I can’t find Schopann on Wikipedia, so I don’t who came first. But I’m sure one of them influenced the other.

I too am looking forward to the exploits of Master Shake!

“This sounds an awful lot like a song by Schopann I heard. I can’t find Schopann on Wikipedia, so I don’t who came first. But I’m sure one of them influenced the other.”

I see what you did there.

“I too am looking forward to the exploits of Master Shake!”

MEATWAD!!!

Well, I wouldn’t kick her out of bed for eating crackers, but I’ll be the bad guy here and admit that I’m really, totally, completely over almost everything she does in that performance.

The over-emoting, the micro-timing variation, etc. She actually jumps up a bit to accentuate the loud notes, pretending to pound on the piano – give me a break!

All she needs is that “straining at stool” face that hack soloing rock guitarists get and my revulsion would be complete.

She’s Russian. She’s required by law to over-emote.

And, although it is rampant looksism, I prefer her version to any other I’ve seen performed. Now ask me how many versions I’ve seen performed….

But would you still do the piano?

that “straining at stool” face that hack soloing rock guitarists get

I regret to inform you that I make stupid faces even when playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on an unplugged electric to a five-year-old. Though it’s not quite the pooping face.

These things can be involuntary, especially when you’re really feelin’ that kiddie song.

Lookism is a huge part of enjoying classical music.

Surely you must LOVE teh Claremont Trio.

Hot Twins!!!11! and an Asian chick!!!!!!11111eleventy-leven

Want a bootleg of them performing Beethoven: Piano Trio No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (“Archduke”) live?

The other ads built off this piece were pretty good. Museum and Hunted were probably my two favorites.

… yes I cop to being a Halo fanboy. I love the plot!

Not to mention Il Divo, the boyband of opera

Hot Chick Classical was a new genre when I was working at a record store. Ofra Harnoy was a pleasure to sort.

Didn’t they use another piece for the 30sec. bits? One which sounded more mournful and sad?

Chopin? Liszt? Brahms? Why choose a favorite? It’s Chopin for when you want a guy who loves the piano more than anything else in the world but is afraid it won’t love him back. Liszt for when you want a guy who treats the piano like high number theory. And Rachmaninoff (yeah, I know nobody mentioned him) for when you want a guy who’s really, really pissed off at the piano for something it did to him once . . .

Please Anne, play some paganini, naked. Just once.

If we’re talkin violinists, then hands down, bar none, w’out question the lookyiest of the lookism victims in that field is Lili Haydn. I seen her perform with Praxis at Bonnaroo and the P-Funk All Stars in Times Square, and….. mmmmmmmmmm.
She really puts her body into her playing. It makes me think of non-musical things. Maggot Brain always turns me on now.

I’m way more psyched about Ace Combat 6 then Halo 3. I want H3’s soundtrack, but meh on the game. I still can’t wash the taste of Halo 2 out of my mouth….

Here you go, Some Guy.

Honestly, how come you never see discussions about Classical composers over at Hot Air or anything?

Oh,….right.

Does Bond count?

(runs away)

“I’m way more psyched about Ace Combat 6 then Halo 3. I want H3’s soundtrack, but meh on the game. I still can’t wash the taste of Halo 2 out of my mouth….”

Actually, I’m more psyched about Bioware’s “Mass Effect” and Harmonix’s “Rock Band” (have I mentioned that I’m a living room rock star?). That was until I got Halo 3 and played it. It’s GLORIOUS. They’ve fixed what made Halo 2 “meh” for me by making it much easier to mute the high-pitched middle school homphobes that seemed to overwhelm the Halo 2 multiplayer community.

Give it a rental…I think you’ll be impressed.

You got a Live account, Some Guy? If so…we should ge together and pwn some n00bs sometime.

Bond counts. My suite-mate’s N64 and Goldeneye got me through college. That’s where I learned the mystical art of pwning n00bs.

Does Bond count?

As what?

If you prefer to hear the whole piece played by a hot Valentina Igoshina

You just guaranteed the Republicans will win in 2008!!!!!1!!

I actually have neither a Live account, nor an Xbox 360. Despite my dealing drugs to under aged school children in front of the Gay Abortion Clinic and, of course, my government welfare paycheck that I DESERVE, I don’t have the funds with which to purchase any “next-gen” console.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VLt5_ME_2_M&mode=related&search=
Has a better audio quality too it, Duros.

As I’ve been saying for some while, classical instruments have been disgracefully under-used in your modern music, generally speaking. Strings especially have incredibly versatile application.

The ads are alright, but if you want to see some good and funny marketing for a game, search youtube for the team fortress 2 trailers:

“Meet the Heavy”, “Meet the Engineer”, and “Meet the Soldier”.

Hilarious.

Much as I am probably not Ann Bartow’s favorite person

And yes, Ann Bartow, I do find her attractive. I’m engaging in total lookism, sexist pig that I am.

*sigh* I love you guys, I really do, but I guess I have to sit back and accept that some of my favorite webcritters are never going to get certain points…

Not to mention the game Eternal Sonata, which is ostensibly about Chpin.

typo may or not be intentional.

Does Bond count?

Only to 007. Haw.

There’s a great Leon Fleischer recording of Ravel’s concerto for the left hand (a piano concerto played by one hand) on YouTube… or there was. Same with Glenn Gould’s jaw-dropping solo piano version of Ravel’s “La Valse.” I must stop now, or I’ll just keep saying stuff. Go on over and search ’em out.

Using your whole body to play the piano is kosher. A lift from the seat to put your whole weight on a chord, or raising your arms to come crashing down, doesn’t mean you’re not an artist. And lots of people make faces when playing, because it helps to dramatize and give shape and emotion to the notes. It’s true that some artists don’t need to, and more power to ’em, but I find that playing the piano consists of doing a finger ballet on the keys which, when perfectly executed, also produces good music.

The elder Serkin plays it very close to the text, adding no flourishes of his own personality, but when I saw film of him performing, I could see that he makes faces, moves his body all over the place, and hums along with himself. Contrast that with Horowitz, the guy who adds his own flash to the music, and he sits like a mummy (or like Rachmaninov), looking like he’s absolutely still except for, perhaps, the final joints of his fingers.

I respect the hell out of both of them. Of course, my dad plays without making faces or swooping around, so that’s how I try to do it myself.