I made this a separate category because 1) the sampled piano sounds on the Yamaha
Clavinova sound so good (especially with good speakers or headphones) and 2) it has
literally changed my life. Since I got the Clavinova, I’ve kind of become addicted to
listening to it on my headphones because of the sound quality. I always wondered how
some piano recordings sounded so rich even with a one-note melody as in a soft Carlos
Jobim tune backing Sinatra. Well, now I know. It has allowed me to be more expressive than I ever could be on my acoustic piano. So I’ve also been playing more than ever because it’s way more fun and I don’t bug my family because of the headphones! Anyway, I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I enjoy playing them!
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes On this day (March 25) in 1909, Jerry Livingston was born, who wrote the lyrics to “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, featured in the 1950 Walt Disney film Cinderella. Interestingly, the theme of the song was taken from an Etude by Franz Liszt. The song was also used in the medley for The Wonderful World Of Disney (1969–1979), where it must have been imprinted on my brain when I used to go over to my cousins’ house once a week to watch Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (as it was initially called), as our family didn’t yet have one of those miraculous new color television sets. The combination of a beautiful sentiment and an unforgettable melody must have touched other artists in the same way, as evidenced by versions by Brian Wilson, Johnny Mathis, Cher, Bette Midler, Linda Ronstadt, Shakey Graves and Hilary Duff, among others. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer [...]
Today I couldn't decide which song to choose, so here are the two Weiss Music Minute finalists! (recorded 3/16/19) First up, we have everyone's favorite Irish song: Danny Boy. This song was first written down in an old Irish song book from 1855 when it was called “Londonderry Air.” Although I had seen this title before, I didn’t happen to know that an air (Italian: aria) is a song-like vocal or instrumental composition. Or also that "The Londonderry Air" is an air that originated in County Londonderry, one of the original counties of the Kingdom of Ireland from 1613 onward. [Courtesy of Wikipedia :-) ] This is my short arrangement of a traditional song with a non-traditional ending. “I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover” was composed by Henry MacGregor Woods, who also wrote the music for "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)”! Although Woods became legendary from this song, in modern times the song is probably most associated with Merrie Melodies cartoons (maybe that’s where I first heard it). It’s also a common tune played by the string bands in Philadelphia's Mummers Parade (a shout out to my home town, Philadelphia! Picture the Mummers strutting to this [...]
On This Day (March 14) in 1991, Howard Ashman who wrote the lyrics for “Beauty and the Beast” passed away at age 40 from complications due to AIDS. He also wrote the lyrics for The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. While finishing “Beauty and the Beast” his health began to decline due to his illness. He grew weaker but he remained productive and continued to write and he completed the lyrical work on “Beauty and the Beast” before succumbing to AIDS. The film was released mere months after his death and is dedicated to him. “Beauty and the Beast” is dedicated "To our friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful. Howard Ashman 1950–1991. I’d like to dedicate this performance to my dear friends Peggy and Dan, who treated my new wife and I to an unforgettable performance of the play at the Schubert Theatre in Los Angeles in 1995. Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer Imperial [...]
"Have I Told You Lately" is a song by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison for his nineteenth studio album Avalon Sunset (1989). C’mon, this has to be one of the best love songs ever, by one of the best singer songwriters! Clocking in at 1:20 (despite a dropped verse), this is not quite a Weiss Music Minute. I guess there was just too much love in this song to be contained in 60 seconds. This version is dedicated to my wife, who first turned me on to Van Morrison, on her birthday (today). More than 27 years ago, I surprised her with an intimate surprise party wedding (a story for another time.) I had produced a multi-track recording of me playing this song as we walked down the aisle (on a cassette!) I still never get tired of playing it. Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand piano. Try listening to it with a good set of headphones! It sounds better than [...]
Minute Waltz On This Day (March 1) in 1810 Frederic Chopin was born in Warsaw, Poland. Chopin's music, his status as one of music's earliest superstars, his association with political insurrection, his high-profile love-life, and his early death have made him a leading symbol of the Romantic era. He was a child prodigy (giving public concerts by the age of 7), and at the age of 21, settled in Paris where he lived for the last 18 years of his short life. He died at the age of 39, probably of pericarditis aggravated by tuberculosis (Mozart, another child musical prodigy, was born about 50 years earlier and also died at a tragically young age - 35.) The Waltz in D-flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, has long been known as the "Minute" Waltz. Its nickname was intended to mean "small" in the sense of a "miniature" waltz. Chopin never intended for this waltz to be played in just one minute. A typical performance of the work will last between 1½ and 2½ minutes (this one clocks in at about 2 min, 20 seconds), but sounds great to me when played even slower! Chopin got the inspiration for this waltz as [...]
Casablanca is consistently rated as one of the most important and influential movies ever made. Many of its elements are synonymous with classic Hollywood - black and white film grain, Humphrey Bogart in a trench coat, the oh-so-quotable lines and of course, the indelible soundtrack! Today's On This Day is a performance of the song "As Time Goes By", memorably performed by Sam in the famed nightclub, in honor of composer Herman Hupfeld's birthday. Interesting factoids: The "piano player" Dooley Wilson was actually a drummer, so the piano was actually played by someone off screen! Also interesting, is that one of the lines most often associated with the film ("Play it again, Sam), is actually a misquote! When Ilsa first enters the Café Americain, she spots Sam and asks him to "Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake." After he feigns ignorance, she responds, "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'". Finally, the aforementioned song might have been dropped from the film entirely if not for a haircut Ingrid Bergman got for her next film - making reshoots impossible. So if not for a haircut, we might never have known this song!! Thanks for watching and "here's looking [...]
This performance of “Fantasia in D Minor” is dedicated to and requested by my friend Monique B. Fantasy in D minor (composed in 1782), left unfinished by the composer, is one of Mozart’s most well- known and most popular pieces for the piano. For me, one of the most interesting things about this piece (besides its unique beauty) is that it was later discovered that the last 10 measures were completed by another musician - but nobody knew it for over a hundred years! It was only in 1944 – roughly a century and a half after Mozart’s death and the publication of the fantasy – that a scholar questioned the authenticity of the final 10 measures of Mozart’s fantasy. Now we know that the last ten measures of Mozart’s "Fantasy" are not by Mozart, but were composed by his contemporary and admirer, August Müller. Listen for a dominant chord and a long pause just before the final 10 measures - that’s where Mozart left it! Can you imagine the music Mozart would have written had he lived past the age of 35! You may notice that the keyboard that I am playing has rows of lights above the keys. [...]
On this day, Brazilian musician Antonio Carlos Jobim was born in 1927! "How Insensitive" is one of his more popular songs, having been covered by a large and diverse swath of people - from Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall to Liberace, The Monkees and William Shatner of Star Trek fame! Jobim is also known perhaps for his most popular song (and one of the most recorded songs in the world )- The Girl from Ipanema. Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand piano. Try listening to it with a good set of headphones! It sounds better than any piano I've ever owned!!
This powerful, inspiring and iconic song, which Bllboard ranked as the No. 1 song for 1970, has helped countless people through challenging times. Paul Simon was inspired by gospel music for this one. It has become one of the most performed songs of the twentieth century, with over 50 artists, among them Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, covering the song. . The distinctive piano arrangement was performed by session musician Larry Knechtel of the famous ‘Wrecking Crew’, a loose collective of session musicians based in Los Angeles whose services were employed for thousands of studio recordings in the 1960s and early 1970s, including several hundred Top 40 hits. Leon Russell and Glen Campbell were also Wrecking Crew members before their solo careers. "Bridge over Troubled Water" was composed by Paul Simon very quickly, so much so that he asked himself, "Where did that come from? (Similar to Paul McCartney saying that ‘Yesterday’ came to him fully formed in a dream and he just got up and played it right away so he wouldn’t forget it!) Will we ever understand fantastic musical ability and inspiration like these guys? Maybe it’s the one thing that artificial intelligence won’t be able to replace. [...]
On This Day, “Forever Young” was released by Bob Dylan with backing by the Band in 1974. Written as a lullaby for his eldest son Jesse, born in 1966, Dylan's song relates a father's hopes that his child will remain strong and happy. It opens with the lines, "May God bless and keep you always / May your wishes all come true", echoing the Old Testament's Book of Numbers, which has lines that begin: "May the Lord bless you and guard you / May the Lord make His face shed light upon you." Its always been one of my favorites - I played it for my son at his Bar Mitzvah. Today’s Music Minute is a truncated instrumental version, but if you’re not familiar with this song, it’s worth listening to Dylan’s version (I like the slow version) and looking up the words. It’s been covered by many artists including Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Band, Diana Ross, Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, the Jerry Garcia Band, Pete Seeger, the Pretenders, Norah Johns and even Meat Loaf! Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action [...]
