Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ANDREW GOLD

ANDREW GOLD
August 2, 1951 – June 3, 2011



Offbeat presenter Karishmeh Felfeli remembers Andrew Gold, one of the most innovative, prodigious talents of popular music and shares some of her favourite songs from his extraordinary legacy on this edition of the program. In this program, Karishmeh reveals just what it was that made Gold such a rare talent in popular music. From his gifts as a singer/songwriter, to his incredible abilities as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, the program features some of his most well known songs, as well as some lesser known gems, including the incredible "Crawl into the Light", from one of his last albums. Instead of his work as a song-writer for other artists, this edition of Offbeat features Gold singing and playing his own music. A deeply personal tribute program, and a celebration of a wonderful musician. 


In past seasons, Offbeat has featured a mixture of legendary classical, world and contemporary artists (Leon Fleisher, Marni Nixon, Dave Davies, Zakir Hussain, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Byron Janis) with writers (Jaishree Misra), composers (David Carbonara of Mad Men fame) and the occasional program about nature, animals and compassionate living. Apart from the weekly eclectic mix of music and conversation, all chosen by pianist/singer Karishmeh Felfeli, the program has also featured specials on a range of subjects -  from "Bollywood" to "Electronica" and "Americana" to "Fantasia". The next season of the program returns at the usual time of 9.00 p.m. GMT on Saturdays, and repeats on Tuesdays at 11.00 a.m. and features a typically unpredictable mix of documentaries, features, interviews and music specials. Here's some of what you can look forward to in August 2011.

"Andrew Gold (1951 - 2011) - Lonely Boy" - A Musical tribute to one of popular music's most brilliant minds and underappreciated talents.

"On pianists and musical mavericks" - Kevin Bazzana, author of the definitive biography of Glenn Gould, and the remarkable biography of  forgotten genius Ervin Nyíregyházi, discusses the golden age of piano playing, the subjects of his two biographies, and much more.

"Adventures in Iran" - Nicholas Jubber shares his experiences about travelling and living in contemporary Iran, being immersed in Ferdowsi's poetry, and Karishmeh Felfeli features some of the greatest historic and contemporary music from Iran.

ALSO IN SEPTEMBER - An actor from HBO's "The Wire", a legendary Goan musician, a French film-maker renowned for his films about great classical musicians, a Hollywood film composer, plus some of Ireland's most exciting young artists, musicians and performers.

Featuring writer Nicholas Jubber as well as music, old and new, from Iran.

The third program of the month to feature Karishmeh Felfeli in conversation with a writer, this edition of Offbeat is set in Iran. British-born writer Nicholas Jubber, author of "Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard" talks to Karishmeh about his travels in Iran (and Afghanistan), Zoroastrianism, modern-day Iran as compared to pre-revolution Iran, as well as Jubber's interest in the Persian poet Ferdowsi, whoseShahnameh, provides much of the inspiration in the travel writer's own book. The program also features music from Iran, some of which is inspired by sections of the Shahnameh, while a lot of it spans a wide variety of genres and eras - from western classical and symphonic, to popular and rap. 

PLAYLIST
Fereydoon Faroughi - Zendoon e dil (archive recording)
Behzad Ranjbaran - The Blood of Seyavash - Introduction

Loris Tjeknavorian - Rostam and Sohrab - Extract 
Erfan ft. Morvarid - Dobareh 
Arash Labaf  ft Aneela Mirza  - Chori Chori
Aminoullah Hussein - Persian Legend for Piano  
Siavash Ghomayshi and Erfan Hajrasuliha - Ghabe Shishei

Listen to Kevin Bazzana talk about maverick pianists and Ervin Nyiregyhazi

In this edition of the program, Karishmeh introduces the Hungarian 
Ervin Nyiregyhazi, a forgotten pianist who was once hailed as a young Liszt, but a man who spent most of his life living in seedy Los Angeles neighbourhoods, too poor to own a piano! One of the last in a tradition of improvising, old-fashioned, romantic pianists, Nyiregyhazi is also the subject of Kevin Bazzana's second biography, "Lost Genius". The program features Karishmeh's conversation with Kevin Bazzana, as they discuss this now forgotten musical maverick. Bazzana also talks about the motivation behind both biographies, and his career as a non-academic writer (despite having a PhD, the subject of his dissertation being Glenn Gould), and his interest in talking about classical music to people from all walks of life. 

PLAYLISTLiszt - Legend #2, St Francis of Paulo, Walking on the Waves, Ervin Nyiregyhazi, Piano
Tchaikovsky - Waltz in A flat major, Ervin Nyiregyhazi, Piano
Liszt - En Reve, Ervin Nyiregyhazi, Piano
Bela Bartok - An Evening in the Village, Bela Bartok, Piano
Bela Bartok - An Evening in the Village, Ervin Nyiregyhazi, Piano
Debussy - Pagodes, from Estampes, Ervin Nyiregyhazi, Piano
Liszt - Au lac de Wallenstadt, Ervin Nyiregyhazi, Piano



In the first of two consecutive programs about maverick pianists and piano music, Canadian Music Historian and Biographer Kevin Bazzanatalks to Karishmeh about the end of the golden age of piano playing, improvising and maverick pianists, as well as the subjects of his first biography - Glenn Gould. Bazzana is the author of the award-winning, definitive biography of Glenn Gould "Wondrous Strange", and Karishmeh Felfeli, who blogs about Glenn Gould on her own Glenn Gould Project website, discusses some of the Canadian pianist's most interesting interpretations.

PLAYLIST
Grieg - Nocturne - Ervin Nyiregyhazi *


Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No.2, Movement 2 - Sergei Rachmaninoff *
Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (conducted by Stravinsky)*
Scriabin - Prelude, op 11, no. 13 - Alexander Scriabin*
Chopin - Minute Waltz - Vladimir de Pachmann 

Chopin - Minute Waltz - Ignaz Friedman
Chopin - Minute Waltz - Sergei Rachmaninoff 
J.S. Bach - Sarabande from English Suite No. 4 - Sviatoslav Richter *
J.S. Bach - Sarabande from English Suite No. 4 - Glenn Gould
J.S. Bach - Fugue in G Major, The Well Tempered Clavier Book 2 - Rosalyn Tureck
J.S. Bach - Fugue in G Major, The Well Tempered Clavier Book 2 - Glenn Gould
W.A.Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 332, Movt 1 - Mitsuko Uchida*
W.A.Mozart - Sonata in F Major, K. 332, Movt 1 - Glenn Gould*
Glenn Gould plays Bach, Beethoven, Brahms - Leonard Bernstein and Glenn Gould talk about their so called "controversial" Brahms collaboration *
Richard Strauss -  Piano Sonata in B Minor, Movt 2 - Glenn Gould*
Brahms - Intermezzo, op. 119, No. 1 - Glenn Gould
All works marked with * are extracts, the rest of the musical examples are complete recordings. 

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From Clonmel to Calcutta - The Untold Story of Maud MacCarthy

Karishmeh Felfeli presents the first documentary of any kind about Maud MacCarthy (1882 - 1967), a forgotten Irish virtuoso violinist who was one of the most enigmatic women that ever lived. A key figure in the Indian freedom struggle (along with Dr. Annie Besant), Maud was also the soulmate and wife of one of England's most prolific composers: John Foulds.After neuritis forced MacCarthy to abandon her career as a violinist, she immersed herself in a subject that had already fascinated her: Indian music. Maud would soon become an authority on the subject, both in her adopted country, and in England. Maud was also an important influence on John Foulds, who wrote some of his most pioneering works during their marriage. Following Fould's untimely death, Maud became a swami and renounced worldly life. When she died in 1967, she left behind numerous writings and poetry on the subject of spirituality, mysticism, religion, metaphysics and music, which are proof of her keen intellect and questioning nature. Despite her immense contribution to Irish musical life, Indian music, philosophy and John Fould's own compositions, today she remains a sadly neglected, forgotten figure. This documentary is the first detailed examination of the life of Maud MacCarthy, and it also sheds light on a variety of associated subjects, from Indian conceptions of music and sound, to John Fould's radical compositions.The program features contributions from Maud's grand-daughter Josephine Gannon and two ethnomusicologists: Dr. Neil Sorrell (York University) who speaks about Maud's life, and her influence on John Foulds and Dr. Jaime Jones (University College Dublin), who discusses musical life in India during the freedom struggle.

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