September 2021

It’s the start of a new month. We are still going through this global panic. I still carry spare masks and sanitizer everywhere I go. Yes, I’m fully vaccinated.

When I was a child, the beginning of September was always a sad time. It meant the summer was over and we had to return to school. I was privileged enough to have most of my childhood friends living on the same 10-acre block as me. Returning to school was nothing special and even meant I’d have less time to see some of my friends as we went to different schools.

As a working professional, the first week of September has no significance to me. Yet, somehow I still feel a sadness about the end of summer, although it doesn’t officially end until the 21st.

Regardless of season or time of year, there is one constant in my life and that is classical piano.

The peace and joy experienced from listening to classical piano is out of this world. The Romantic era of classical piano has pretty much cured my depression. Well, to be honest, it is a good remedy.

There were so many great pianists throughout history. There are many great pianists today.

Be sure to check out Seong-Jin Cho, a young virtuoso pianist who hails from my second country, South Korea.

Favorite Classical Pianists

Franz Liszt
from the private archive of Weingut Steinmühle www.weingut-steinmuehle.de

My favorites are listed in two separate lists. The first one is for classical pianists who have long ago departed this world. The second is for the current generation.

My original favorite classical composer was Tchaikovsky. The piano in Symphony No. 1 blows me away each time I hear it.

Recently, I have been focused on the piano. I started listening to pieces by Franz Liszt around 2015. Mid-2021, I began to take piano lessons.

I discovered many wonderful pieces composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff. YouTube Music became my go-to place for discovery. Rachmaninoff’s style really resonates with me.

The Romantic era (1800-1910) gave rise to most of my favorite virtuoso pianists. I am drawn to the complexity, emotion, and rich sound.

Classical Composers

NameLivedCountry of Birth
Franz Liszt1811 – 1886Hungary
Sergei Rachmaninoff1873 – 1943Russia
Erik Satie1866 – 1925France
Frederik Chopin1810 – 1849Poland
Claude Debussy1862 – 1918France
Johannes Brahms1833 – 1897Germany
Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky1840 – 1893Russia
Alexander Scriabin1872 – 1915Russia
Amy Beach1867 – 1944United States
Sergei Prokofiev1891 – 1953Russia
Classical Pianists

Today, there are several incredible pianists who I draw inspiration from. These pianists are beyond description. They bring pure joy to my life each and every single day.

Current Virtuoso Pianists

NameCountry of Birth
Jan LisieckiCanada
Tiffany PoonUnited States
Evgeny Igorevich KissinRussia
Valentina LisitsaUkraine
Yuja WangChina
Lang LangChina
Seong-Jin Cho (조성진)South Korea
Jun AsaiUnited States
Hayato SuminoJapan
Nahre SolUnited States
Joe HisaishiJapan
H.J. Lim (임현정)South Korea
Yiruma (이루마)South Korea
Vladimir AshkenazyRussia
Daniil TrifonovRussia
Daniel BarenboimArgentina
Yeol Eum Song (손열음)South Korea
Current Pianists

Classical Piano

As some of you might be aware, I have been learning to play piano for the past two months.

In my previous post, I mentioned how piano has brought happiness to my life. I love all types of piano music but find myself drawn towards classical piano. I really love the romantic era which gave us great music from composers such as Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Frederic Chopin, Alexander Scriabin, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Not only have I been studying piano technique and music theory, I have also been studying the great composers such as Johannes Brahms, Johan Sébastien Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and others including the great Romantic era composers mentioned in the previous paragraph.

I think it’s time for me to start writing articles about these great composers whose music has brought such joy to my life.

Stay tuned…

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