Our "Carmen Fantasy" sheet music is now available for sale on Amazon! It's the second printing of our newly inaugurated publishing company, Awkward Fermata Press, and we think it looks beautiful! Our adrenalized duo logo can be seen in its two-piano form on the cover. Also for sale: our "Blue Danube Fantasy."
The website of the New York Times looks a bit like the American Idol comment boards these days, with everyone offering their two cents about the merits of Chopin over Stravinsky, Wagner over Verdi. A certain music critic has taken it upon himself to rank the top ten "greatest" composers, and his self-appointed task has unnecessarily riled up countless music fans. I appreciate the enthusiasm the articles have generated, but I fear the results. It seems to me that a society so obsessed with competition is turning music into a science... a society filled with overbearing sages is predetermining what experiences we should and shouldn't enjoy... a society that has fine-tuned its ability to listen critically is becoming unable to listen aesthetically. (For Liz and my take on "aesthetic" listening, please see our Music Listening Manifesto.)
I take issue with labeling music "great," as if music is some sort of artifact that belongs in a museum. Why should "greatness" be the ultimate goal of classical music? Is Schubert's B-flat Sonata nothing but a pristine, untouchable chapel for worship? Or is it a warm, pulsating, living being with a heart that connects to humans today? Do we not approach Schubert's music with the same mirthful, reckless merriment as the Schubert who played music with his friends? Or do we dissect his music in a scientific study and merely comment on its perfection? Yes, I want to be elevated by great craft in music, but there is so much more I long for in addition: simple joys, compassion when I'm sad, feckless laughs, a good cry, midnight snacks, and the feeling I get when I rest my head on my pillow after a really long day.
Carmen. The very name immediately conjures up the irresistible melodies of Bizet’s beloved opera as well as the dramatic story of its tempestuous heroine. For our latest video, we found the perfect venue: the historic Asolo Theater, a bona fide 18th century jewel of a theater located in Sarasota’s Ringling Museum. We wanted this video to have a cinematic feel to reflect the epic drama of the opera. So in addition to live performance footage from our two recitals in the Artist Series of Sarasota, we incorporated a variety of scenarios, outfits, and locales into the production. Besides the elaborate Asolo Theater, we filmed in the breathtaking hills of Lafayette, California. What made this place particularly special was its personal meaning to Greg, as he got married there just two days prior to our shoot. (Speaking of which, the wedding ceremony was an absolutely beautiful, joyous occasion!)
Our alfresco video shoot took place on a picture-perfect, cloudless summer afternoon in early August. We pushed two upright pianos onto the patio of the house, and a handful of our friends and Greg’s parents joined us, just leisurely lounging in the background as Greg and I tore through the piece. The highlight of the shoot was the spectacular sunset at dusk, which we fortunately caught on film. The sun made its descent into the vast horizon just as we finished playing through the piece -- perfect timing!
As for the Fantasy itself, it is a kaleidoscopic mishmash of our favorite themes from the opera. With this composition, we aimed to push the virtuosic possibilities of two pianos to the hilt. We hope you enjoy our theatrical transcription, performance, and video of Carmen.
For all of our piano-playing fans, we've got another challenge waiting for you: our "Carmen Fantasy for Two Pianos." You can purchase (and instantly download) a PDF file of the score on the scores page.
The sheet music will be available for sale on amazon.com in the coming weeks.
The piece has been a hit at our concerts... stay tuned, we'll reveal our music video of the piece shortly!
You heard that right. Step aside andersonroe.NET (actually, it still works and soon will automatically direct you here); andersonroe.COM is the new moniker to remember!
Actually, two things have happened. We've *finally* acquired the andersonroe.com web address, and we've built a brand new website.
"andersonroe.com" was stuck in the hands of a pair or real estate agents for years. Real estate agents? Really?! When this other dynamic duo dropped the web address, domain hoarders snatched it up and tried to sell us the domain name for thousands of dollars. After two years of us playing "NO GAME," the domain hoarders gave up and released the web address to the winds of cyberspace, free for us to collect on our own accord.
We're celebrating with a brand new website. We think the vastly revised site is lovely, mostly because it is considerably easier (wildly, wonderfully, shockingly easier!) for us to update. A lot of things are happening in Anderson & Roe land, so check back often. (Or simply follow our twitter or RSS feeds!)
Coupon codes: enter 15percent to save 15% on score orders of $30 or more and 25percent to save 25% on orders of $50 or more.
