Andrys was born in San Francisco and lives in the East Bay. Her musical history includes 9 years with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus as a soprano. Primary interests are chamber music with others in the area and travel photography anywhere.

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See http://www.pbase.com/andrys

NOTES ON THE ALBUM

A Piano for Quieter Times - Andrys Basten

Some favorite and also less-known classical works for piano, non-virtuoso and more reflective.

What they have in common, besides the beauty of the writing, is a nocturnal quality, dream-like in mood and best heard when looking for something more interior.

Interesting inner-voice writing, gorgeous melodies, and some unexpected progressions are key elements of these pieces that have been enjoyed by 150 to 200 years of listeners.

Chopin's metronome marking for Nocturne No. 8 in Db is an example. The interpretation's an exploration of Chopin's indicated tempo, while not even up to that speed but somewhere in between the usual slower tempo and the marking given.

This Nocturne cut was used in a short-film entry that is a homage to silent-movie style, at the Cardiff Screen Festival Nov 2005.

Descriptions and explanations for choices made in this music can be seen below.

Please feel free to contact andrys1@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

TRACK DESCRIPTIONS - In COMPOSER (ALPHA) ORDER

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Beethoven Moonlight Sonata (i)

This slow movement is so well known that we can forget how beautiful it is.

Some will remember viewing the film in which Neeson's 'Beethoven' is shown with ear to piano due to declining ability to hear the beauty he heard in his mind.

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Amy Beach - Dreaming, Op.15 No. 3 (1892)

Amy Beach, a concert pianist at age 16, wrote "Dreaming" in 1892, and it opens with the feel of a dream pulling us. Beach's progressions can surprise and the music sounds as if written yesterday. Very modern in feel.

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Brahms Intermezzo in A , Op. 118, No. 2

"Andante teneramente" - Composed in 1832, it was first mentioned by a Dr. Billroth in 1893. One reason given for its delayed appreciation is a certain structural ambiguity. Endings become beginnings, intertwined.

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Chopin Nocturne 20 in c# (The Pianist)

This is one of the nocturnes published after Chopin's death. It contains several melodic ideas that later turn up in the Concerto in f minor. There are several "manuscript" versions of this nocturne and this rendition uses choices from 3 of these.

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Chopin Nocturne 8 in D-flat Maj, Op27, No2

This is an exploration of Chopin's indicated tempo in two urtext editions, while not as fast - somewhere in between the usually heard slower tempo and the marking given.

This mp3 was used as the soundtrack for the short-film 'The Recluse' screened at Cardiff's Screen Festival 2005, a homage to silent-movies, and is now at youtube in a somewhat compressed version, at http://tinyurl.com/2qrprj - uploaded by Reaction Pictures. The 'score' for that is of course Chopin's, though the Youtube info is for the audio-source.

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Chopin Prelude No. 20 in c minor

The quality of the sound that continues between the chords in this piece, even on the lightest pianos, is part of the work's attraction.

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Ginastera - Danza de la moza donosa

This ruminative piece is said to have been about a wanderer who pauses for awhile on a hillside to watch a rural woman doing her daily chores outside. Wistfully melancholy with some sunlight. [Harry Fox Agency License #: 1020000033]

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Rachmaninoff Prelude Op. 23 No. 4 in D (1903)

Played on an old spinet, this starts slowly and builds as two upper melodies vie in triplets against a bass written in 3/4 time.

The tension between the two upper melodies can be heard when the 2nd melody is less secondary than usual, differentiating through phrasing.

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Rachmaninov Prelude Op 23 No. 6 - Take 3

The 2nd half of this less-familiar Rachmaninoff prelude includes some exquisite progressions.

Rachmaninoff spelled his name with 'noff' at the end when in the U.S., but CD titles are often spelled "Rachmaninov"

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Rick Robertson Romance in D flat

This wistful, flowing, neo-romantic piece was composed by Rick Robertson. On the staff of a music school in Georgia, he composes pieces for his students and runs the classical '88son78s' yahoogroup.

Sheet music is available from pno4tay@yahoo.com

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Rick Robertson Nocturne in D

This melodic piece with slightly shifting moods is also from Rick's collection of teaching pieces.

On the staff of a music school in Georgia, he composes pieces for his students and runs the classical '88son78s' yahoogroup.

Sheet music is available from pno4tay@yahoo.com

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Rick Robertson Seaside

This 3rd piece by Rick Robertson, also written for his students, has the feeling of a slow, mellow day by the sea.

On the staff of a music school in Georgia, he composes pieces for his students and runs the classical '88son78s' yahoogroup.

Sheet music is available from pno4tay@yahoo.com

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Schubert Impromptu in G-flat Op90 No3

This famous Impromptu in G-flat Major is played here on an old spinet, the odd tone closer to the more raspy sound of the fortepianos of its time :-)

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Schubert Sonata 13 in A, D664 (ii)

This slow movement from the Schubert Sonata No. 13 in A, D664, is economical in its writing, with simple but quite beautiful harmonic changes.

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Schumann Fantasie in C, Op 17 Mvmt 3 - Langsam...

This final movement of Robert Schumann's famous Fantasie in C is unusual in that it's not a fast movement but a meditative and dream-like ballade with moments of elation in it. Peaceful and hopeful, it's one of my favorites.

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Scriabin Etude Op2 No1 (1887)

This romantic Russian etude contains expressive left hand melodies that are quite poignant, heard against the right-hand's melodic material. Alexander Scriabin uses rich clusters with many falling phrases and lots of juicy suspensions.

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Siloti-Bach_Prelude_in_b (Siloti transcription)

Alexander Siloti, born in 1863, transcribed this Bach prelude for his daughter. This hypnotic piece was transcribed before 1900 and has a Romantic-era bass with unexpected progressions against Bach's right hand prelude-melody. A fantasy on Bach's in E minor BWV 855a.

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