January 2 - Mily Balakirev (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for January 2nd are here: Mily Balakirev; Michael Tippet; Gardner Read (2020),  Eric Whitacre (2021), and Roger Miller (2022)

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Mily  Balakirev (2 January 1837 [O.S. 21 December 1836] – 29 May [O.S. 16 May] 1910) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finger Twister

Critic Harold C. Schonberg noted that Balakirev’s Islamey was "at one time…considered the most difficult of all piano pieces and is still one of the knucklebusters." – adapted form Wikipedia

If you’ve got fingers that can play

Balakirev’s great Islamey,

Then good for you, and I’m impressed

That you have conquered such a test!

But as for me (and please forgive)

It’s fine with me that I can live

And never play Balakirev.

 

 

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