We had a good turn out and everyone seemed to have a good time. Fortunately, there was always someone playing the piano which prevented Grotriman from taking apart my action right there!

CJQ played some great Scriabin, he really nailed it.

Bernard played some wonderful Brahms and one of my favorite Rachmaninoff preludes.

Rachel-the-miraculous-piano-teacher played Chopin's F-minor ballade, a Chopin Prelude, and after some prodding, the 3rd movement of the moonlight sonata. She has some amazing chops. No one wanted to play after her!

Fingers played some great Jazz, but once again was shown up by his son Ben, who was everyone's favorite!

LJC impressed us all with some Jazz pieces, and as if that wasn't enough he literally pulled something out of his back pocket to sight read. I can't wait to play his Hamburg D, by the way. Its worth the trip out to Lon-Gisland.

I talked Grotriman into playing Jeax d'eau, which he plays so well. I will learn that some day soon. He also did some pieces from Tombeau de Couperin, a great Scarlatti sonata and some interesting Poulenc. The man has so much right on his fingertips, ready to play.

Jeff did a couple of Bach pieces. He's the most recent starter in the group, but you can tell he's worked hard at it. He really sounded good.

Bootsy played 10m or so of the Liszt Sonata. Fantastic! He also read through some Debussy, Schubert, and LvB Op 109 1st movement. I wish I could read (and play) like him!

Realplayer came late so many attendees missed him. He had just returned from a performance he had uptown. He played about 8-9m of a piece by Michael Sahl that was just phenomenal. Its a really great piece of music and Joe's playing is off the charts. He's recording the piece in June, I implore everyone to by the CD.

La Pianista played some Beethoven but I missed it! I think I was up on the roof servicing my nicotine habit. Darn!

Finally, rachel-nyc was a fantastic hostess, and very politely handled everyone's questioning as to why she doesn't play the piano!

Here are some photos. By the way, the best image of all was Ben playing, Grotriman took that and promised to post it. Make sure you come back and see it.

Bootsy at the piano:


CJQ at the piano:


Rachel-the-miraculous-piano-teacher at the piano:



LJC at the piano (i caught him mid-jump):


Realplayer at the piano:

Here are some more:


Here is (clockwise from left) La Pianista, Ben, Bernard, Jeffrey, rachel-the-miraculous-teacher.





Here is (left to right) Ben, Jeffrey, and Bernard.





Here is (L-R) Ben, Fingers, La Pianista, and Grotriman.





Here is (L-R) LJC, Fingers, rachel-nyc, CJQ, and rachel-the-miraculous-teacher.

Oooh! That sounds like you had so much fun! Nice seeing all of you guys.

Thanks for sharing the pics Jon!

BTW, what did you play and where is your pic?

;-)

Roberta

Thank you Jon and Rachel, It was a pleaseure, and yes you will play the D.

Thank you Jon and Rachel, It was a pleaseure, and yes you will play the D.

I played Ravel's Sonatine, all three movements.

I didn't get a picture of me (its not like I'm CJQ or anything ). Grotriman took some photos, maybe I'll turn up in one of them.

Beautiful piano and a wonderful flat.

Tim

Wow, super pictures! Wish I could have been there. What a beautiful living space. The piano must just fill that living room up with sound. Thanks for sharing!

Jodi

cool aprtment. and glad you guys had fun.

here is a lightened one



an another




and another


(love your windows)

Reposting here before I knew any better....
-------------------------------------------

What a beautiful piano too! This Bosie makes all other pianos look like they came out of a high school woodshop.

Sigh.

The Bosie had a very luscious sound but much more polite than the Grotrian. I can only wonder what my piano would sound like with that much space to play it in.

Great party Jon! Thanks for inviting all of us. What Jon didn't say is he's almost nailed the third movement of the Ravel Sonata in the month since the last party... awesome.

We also got to meet Christopher Quinn, who contrary to rumors at PW is really a nice guy.

I have some pix of Fingers and his son doing an improv together, I'll try to post tonight.

One thing for sure - After seeing the accessories that came with Jon's Bosie, I want to accessorize too. I want those cool brass cups under my casters too.

BTW - interesting finish detail - the Bosie pedal lyre base has enclosed the rear of the pedal mechanism so that you only see the push rods coming out of an elegant wooden base. I was at my kids recital last night where they have this magnificent Steinway B, serial number in the 78K range, and it was constructed that way too back then. I guess they've cheapened it since.

Jon-nyc wrote:

"I talked Grotriman into playing Jeax d'eau, which he plays so well. I will learn that some day soon. He also did some pieces from Tombeau de Couperin, a great Scarlatti sonata and some interesting Poulenc. The man has so much right on his fingertips, ready to play. "

Well - if you had your father in a nursing home for Alzheimer's - you'd be doing as much as you can to keep that grey matter supple too!!!

My plan is to memorize everything I learn (that I like - but I usually give up on pieces I decide I don't like). We'll see.

When I find I can no longer memorize, I'll know its time to walk in front of a high speed piano moving truck.

Great pix! Great piano-- looks like the weather has improved from when it was delivered.

Interesting phrase, declaring the Bosie as more "polite" than your Grotrian. I'd love to hear that piano--the only Bosie I've encountered wasn't exactly genteel. It was a big monster with a bass that practically rattled your fillings. Waaaay cool.

I still don't buy the thing about CJQ being a nice guy, though.

I am so mad right now I missed the party. I had FOOD POISINGING. Alert!! all new yorkerks... Never eat at "Bombay Talkie"

I had the special and was throwing up all night from food posining.

Jon- I wish I could have been there but I don't think that would have went well with me sick and all.

DARn!@$!@

decibel, pete, sorry we missed you! i hope you're feeling better, db.

thanks everyone for the compliments on the flat. its a fun entertaining space. its very 'live' and the piano does fill the room. grotriman thinks i need some rugs. maybe.

apple - thanks for the photoediting. i should have used the flash!

btw - when grotriman say my piano is more polite, its because when i finished playing his piano in april it turned around and told me i needed more lessons, but my piano holds its tongue

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jon-nyc:
[QB] Fortunately, there was always someone playing the piano which prevented Grotriman from taking apart my action right there! LOL

I believe someone threw him off a bridge in a prior life

Anyway, looks like it was a great gig, hope our schedules work out to say at least hello next month,

Nice looking food as well.

Good pictures jon. I recognized the apartment from the thread you posted about craning the piano through those magnificent windows.

I almost felt like I was there , since, thanks to the videos taken of the moving-day by CJQ-Limited Productions,I am familiar with the surrounding buildings (and some of their soffits ), trees, traffic, and sidewalk and/or curb-and-gutter work of that neighborhood. :p

I had a great time, btw!


Bob

Just some kudos to jon and rachel, who were great hosts. A fantastic piano in a fantastic space. The quality of piano playing was very high, and gives me something to work towards.

Any volunteers for the next one? Perhaps in late June??

(Hey, Grotriman, didn't you take a bunch of pictures?)

It was indeed a great party. Thanks jon and rachel. Your home is gorgeous -- I love the huge skylight, and the piano is beautiful -- both touch and tone. Thanks for the wonderful spread, the asparagus and dip was my favorite, and the aged gouda came in a close second.

So nice that the "G" travels almost door-to-door from my place to yours!

Everyone's playing was beautiful. jon-nyc, you've made noticable progress since the last party on the Sonatine--I'd better get to work on that 3rd movement!

There's a special quality that comes through CJQ's Scriabin; I could listen to his Scriabin all afternoon.

I'm totally awed by the amount of material Grotriman has committed to memory. Golly! Very impressive.

Bootsy, your sight-reading skills are unbelievable, not to mention your technical ability. Wow!

It was a special treat to hear Chopin's 4th Ballade performed live by jon's and CJQ's teacher. Very beautiful.

Another great afternoon amongst wonderful people, great food and great music.

Thanks all.

Sorry I had only enough time to say hi to RealPlayer. Maybe next time (especially since he may host!), we'll have more time for visiting.

Jeffrey,
RealPlayer showed some interest in hosting the next get-together. Like I said, if he is not able to make it happen, I'm willing.

Wow, the party looks wonderful. Jon what a beautiful space for your piano. And Apple, thanks for lightening the pics. It made a huge difference.

I've just gotta go to one of them thair pardies.

Hey, Jon and Rachel,

Sorry I could not make the critical-mass part of the party, but it was great fun anyway! Certainly some of the fun-loving people I knew were still around.

Your (and Rachel's) hospitality was awesome, as was your living space. I wish I had your good taste in furnishings.

The Boesendorfer is fabulous, and I only scratched the surface of exploriong it. A rematch is in order!

I really enjoyed hearing Bernard, Jeffey and Bootsy play. You all did great, and it's such a pleasure to hear live playing. I wish I could have heard the rest of you.

Yes, maybe the next one can be at my place. A suggestion that was made by CJQ with, well, some measure of subtlety. :p But seriously, I'd like that. I must check with the rest of the family. I may need some help with refreshments too. Above all, I'd have to arrange it so that I can have a tuning just before. We'll all stay in touch about this.

What can I say that hasn't already been said?

I consider myself most fortunate to be part of PW and the piano parties.

The wonderful music that was played was unequaled... well, then again, that dip was very good.

Truly an inspirational home and piano.(my son wants to move in)

BTW, Ben says your home has good Feng - Shui I hope he's not using that kind of language around school.

jon and rachel- nyc, thank you very much for providing us with a special day.

Regards,

fingers

Thanks for the pics! Those of us that live out in "flyover country" enjoy seeing all of you New Yorkers.

fingers,

That's funny.

Your son is on a road to making beautiful music; I'm impressed. How old is Ben, btw, if it's not too rude to ask?

Dear Jon and Rachel,

Thank you so much for hosting this party in your beautiful home. From the food and the booze to the company and the piano (not to mention the setting) -- what an excellent NYC event, attended by so many talented people, getting in line over and over for another turn at the Bosie. And such music was played and heard!

Anyway, just for those who weren't there -- I'd say that a friendlier, nicer, or more fearless group would be hard to imagine. So many terrific pianists, too, some mind-bogglingly fluent amateurs, some very powerful jazz guys, some serious pros, some adult beginners. Yet this was a place where anyone would feel comfortable attempting anything, with or without the assistance of several glasses of wine. In spite of all the talent, there was nothing intimidating about the gathering: good vibes for all, from all, which is truly a beautiful thing.

I heard: jon-nyc himself rock the house with Ravel; Grotriman likewise, with an inexhaustible repertory from memory, great technical fluency, and also some really interesting and exciting pieces (e.g. Poulenc Perpetual Movements); wonderfully expressive Scriabin from CJQ; marvellous Brahms (Intermezzi in E and A) from Bernard, as well as the Rachmaninoff g-minor Prelude -- everything Bernard plays joins my list of favorite pieces, and makes me wish that I played it; thrilling Chopin and Beethoven from Rachel the piano teacher / real concert pianist (an honor to turn her pages, and very exciting to watch her really dig in to the piano, leaving the bench repeatedly -- I absolutely LOVE that); scarily wonderful and truly huge playing from RealPlayer (buy his forthcoming CD of the Sahl everyone); great jazz playing from LJC and from Fingers, each of whom can make an epic from a lead sheet in his sleep; superb playing by Ben, Fingers' son, both improvised and Classical (highly idiomatic, and of course he has learned a lot from his Dad -- I'd hope that my own son might grow up to be like him); much advancement by Jeffrey, a fearless adult beginner, was also in evidence, playing plenty of Bach. I did somehow miss La Pianista's playing, while smoking on the roof with jon-nyc no doubt.

As at Grotriman's event, such a collection of kind, fun people came together to play for one another as to restore ones faith in humanity. Thanks so much to so many new friends (not sure who I may have left out), this really was a blast.

And thanks to all for not mentioning my wretched attempt at WTC I (Bb major), which I think I'll blame on jon's edition.

Thanks again to jon/rachel/everyone else,

Bootsy

Bernard,

I'll relay your kind and encouraging words to Ben. He is 8 years new... errr, old.

He really did make the feng-shui comment.
I had better clean my clutter.

Thanks,

fingers

He found feng-shui in my apartment? Thats funny, we cleaned the best we could before everyone came over.

Regarding Ben, Rachel-the-miraculous loved him and his playing. She was dying to be his teacher - and was disappointed to hear you live so far from park slope! Rachel-nyc thought he was fantastic, she said he told her he wants to be a landscape architect when he grows up (who knew what a landscape architect was at 8 years old?!?)

Funny story here... when people arrived, most everyone started with a soft drink not wanting to have wine or beer until after they played. Except Bootsy. He said, 'on the contrary, I won't play until I've had a drink.'

Glad you (and everyone) could make it! I'll host again after a few others have had a turn.


ps to bernard - sounds like I need to put the recipe for the wasabi dip on the recipe thread at WTF.

YES!! (please?)