About 1977 I attended some composition and theory classes through St. John’s University. The emphasis was on early 20th century composers. Stravinsky, Webern, Schoenberg, Berg, Prokofiev, Bartok, and Debussy were the main focus. But Maurice Ravel became my favorite and remains so until this day. At the time, a friend of mine who was majoring in piano performance (and with […]
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Read More »
There were several things that drew me to Weinberg and his music. The first thing was that his birth date of December 8 is something I share with him. Secondly, he is of Polish origin (another thing I have in common with him), though he lived most of his life in Russia and is known as a Russian composer.
Miecyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996) / composer Read More »
Great melodies, bold harmonies, audacious rhythms, plenty of virtuosity (Prokofiev was a piano virtuoso himself) and lots of Slavic charm and character. For the past several weeks I have been listening repeatedly to these three concertos and only finding more and more to discover and admire each time. I have been a fan of the “Third” for many years but
Prokofiev (Piano Concertos 1, 2 and 3) Read More »
“Rococo”Written and performed by Reynold D. Philipsek, copyright Zino-Rephi Music (BMI) “Rococo” is a tune I perform often, both with my small groups and solo. The title stems from the ornamentation-like nature of the melody. The most successful pieces I have composed mostly have one thing in common and that is a certain “inevitability” about them. In other words, they
We spend most of our lives becoming. We are all on the quest to “become” the best and most relevant version of ourselves. For me, this becoming has been best exemplified by the music I have written. This music, in it’s purest and most concise form, is the mirror reflection of my becoming. Part of it has been the result
“Sailor” This album was recorded in 1973. It is now considered a sort of “minor classic” in a genre loosely called “Prog Rock.” I don’t really know how to feel about the record now. It is so long ago and I was a much different player at this early stage. I occasionally see the album for sale from various rare