Thread by @schmonz

There are a lot of aspects of #Medtner's music that make him my favorite composer: form, counterpoint, rhythm, ergonomics for the pianist, and balance and painstaking attention to detail in all of these.

Also, some of it you can fucking rock out to. A brief thread:

Berezovsky playing the fourth Skazka ("Tale") from Opus 35. Hooooo-lee shit.

Beus's Op. 20 No. 2. Relentless.

The incomparable Hamelin, playing through the Scherzo from Op. 53 "Sonata Romantica". Propulsive.

Medtner himself on Danza festiva, Op. 38 No. 3. Fluid, joyous, touching, could go on forever, and ends right when it must.

Tozer sticks the landing on "March of the Paladin", Op. 14 No. 2, one of Rachmaninov's personal favorites.

Sudbin with Op. 39 No. 5 "Sonata tragica". If you're just here to rock, be warned: you'll have to wait out the occasional achingly lyrically beautiful episode. Sorry. All of it has to be there.

Hough, the Op. 22 G minor sonata. Get a load of how inevitably this thing unfolds. Kick the rhythms while you're at it.

Russo, the second of the Op. 8 pair on one theme. Homework: find Op. 8 No. 1 to compare. My opinion: "before" was wholly him, but this "after" is Medtner flexing what had already become the height of his considerable powers. The rhythm writhes and snaps.

Smith, Op. 38 No. 7, "Danza silvestra". There are two sections where it sounds like the center cannot hold, is running madly off in all directions, only to pull up and resolve, hard. In these sections, I rock out, hard.

That's enough rocking out. Bedtime in my timezone. Here's yours truly bringing the long melodic lines of Op. 26 No. 3 (not YouTube, MP3 from my site): schmonz.com/2007/02/02/med…

Some remarkable surprises hiding in that small piece. Here's an analysis (requires a little music theory to grok): schmonz.com/2007/04/23/mus…

Have I piqued your interest in #Medtner? Here are more words about how mine has grown:

schmonz.com/2007/11/14/med…

schmonz.com/2014/01/28/on-…

If you're @GeePawHill, thanks for planting a seed with your music-love threads. The rest of yinz, thanks for listening along!

You've read this thread. You've listened. You're ready.

The entire Op. 53 No. 2 Sonata minacciosa ("menacing") is hardcore. About 2/3 through it is my ultimate #Medtner metal moment. Arnold here is all over it. When it happens, you will know.

Hold tight.