Handel In The Strand

[Composer] Percy Grainger
[Perfomer] David Helfgott
[Link] Click here for a musical snippet
[OMS Rating] 350

Strongest attributes: Very broad stimulation overall; joy/Dionysian; evokes rich “musical memory” (familiar in a deep, very nostalgic way); physical; poetic; oddity/quirks; communication; “delicious moments”; play/creativity/imagination; personal individuality; transparency; integration; organization; compositional skill.

On the surface, it seems like a nice music-hall tune. But there is plenty of substance. There a number of good recordings of this work; David Helfgott’s (yes, the maligned David Helfgott) is one of the best in terms of the above attributes. But we don’t know of any pianist who has conveyed the full range of stimulation that is built into this work.

Beethoven: Piano Sonata Op. 110

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #2

Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 117 #1

Ravel: Bolero

Stardust

All Blues (Miles Davis)

Schoenberg: Piano Piece Op. 11 #2 (1909)

Webern: Piano Variations Op. 27

Sex Machine