HIs son's website contains almost all of his musical scores and a big pile of recordings of Ornstein (and others) playing his own works, improvising, and composing; it makes for very good listening (especially as most of his works are not available recorded yet).  I prefer Hamelin's rendition of suicide in an airplane, though ;P

http://www.poonhill.com/

Yes. It's a wonderful piece, well worth playing. Below are some of the harder sections with some suggestions concerning use of the wrist - down arrow signifies a low wrist, up arrow a high one. If the opening section (and other comparable passages) are practised in this up-down way, when speeding them up then turn into a type of in-out motion instead, and the passage can be played at high speed.



Very few people attempt to make clear the notated voicing in the passage just after the second fragment above. Also the contrasts between pp and ff later on are very important (this is the sort of writing that anticipates such pieces as Wolfgang Rihm's Klavierstuck VII). And the beamings as the piece in the later stages (continually stressing the off beats, usually in two note groups) should be brought out - Schumann plays with the listener's sense of where the beat is (as he also does for extended passages in the Humoreske - this strategy can be found in Beethoven as well, for example in the last movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2, where the first bar gives a false idea of where the downbeats are (provided one plays the sforzandi, which many do not), which is 'corrected' by the next bar).

The second of the Liebesträume is one of the most intensely sexually charged works I know. Just try playing the passage below to see what musical passion can be. And tell your student to play it to the woman (or man) that he loves! I think (s)he will be taken by it....

He could also try playing this piece (from Grieg's Op. 42 Lyric Pieces) as part of a seduction strategy:



(somehow that final cadence makes me think of Grieg saying 'How about a cup of char now then, luv?')

Love can involve pain as well - do tell him that. If he doesn't believe you, tell him to play this most tragic of all songs of Schubert.



(this was a song I came back to again and again during a period of love (on both parts) for someone who was too far away for anything to be possible - An die Ferne Geliebte might also have been appropriate!)

Did you like this piece by Suk (Song of love?). This is for eruanto.
I have violinist who is looking for not too difficult pieces to play. Whould you recommend this one?

I think this love  is not very possible for my student. He is 43 and she is 19 in search of easier life (I think). He has a daughter of 16 with ex-wife.
I like him because he is passionate about music and especially about playing piano. But he also likes the fair half of the population very much. Mr TP nearly got in trouble the other day in Aldi. He thought it was the other girl-friend and almost called her name, but then decided not to say.
One just has to pretend one doesn't see much (my eyes never were strong).
I don't know what will happen but for now he is in love.

May be there is an arrangement of this Schubert song? Or it has to be done. May be I should ask my friend to arrange it if I get the music. (Another stupid project I suppose).

Well yes it was ok, although by that stage of the evening i felt that th'yoong gentleman had rather outstayed his welcome (he only just came on again in time for the applause to still be going.) But yes it was passionate enough.


it's a deceptive one, but certainly not for "second study" pianists. it started off quite simply, but then it got rather virtuosic and involved in the middle.